Red Sun
by up2nogoodj5
Summary: Eclipse in Edwards POV... check out my story lost moon first its new moon in edwards pov.. i didnt do twilight cause there is so many of those already on here.. so please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: this is a new story, so please read and review.. tell me whatcha think and if i should continue or not.... **

**Chapter 1: Ultimatum**

I sat in my car parked down the block from Bella's house. Able to hear her fathers thoughts. It was half a conversation. I couldn't hear Bella's. I sighed. I was so close to seeing her, my destiny, my life, my reason for existing, my everything. And yet I was so far. I wanted to hold her and stroke her perfect skin, run my hands through her silky smooth hair, but alas I had to wait.

Patience was not my strongest suit, although this was all my fault. I was the only one to blame. I had myself to blame for the situation. I had been irrational, and didn't think things through properly, and in turn Bella had disappeared for three days. I couldn't blame Charlie for being upset.

Although these groundings or house arrest rules were rather silly and pointless if you think about it.

I was with Bella more than Charlie knew, or would like to know. All through the night, every night.

I sighed and closed my eyes, resting my head on the back of the seat. I imagined my beautiful Bella. Her beautiful bright eyes, her soft smooth lips, the way her cheeks blushed at the slightest touch. Her scent, her scent at one time had been so powerful to me, to powerful. It had nearly destroyed me, and everything I held In forks. It had taken everything in me to not take her from her seat and spill her blood the very first time I had seen her. But now I loved her, with every fiber of my being. All of her, and I would not and could not ever harm her. My whole purpose for existing in this life was to keep her safe and happy.

I turned the key in the ignition and listened to Charlie's thoughts, making sure it was safe to proceed to see Bella. They were talking about college, I glanced down at the stack of applications on the seat next to me. Although Bella was so determined to be changed into a vampire after graduation, I still held hope that she would change her mind, that I could change her mind, or at the very least delay the process a bit.

The though of Bella changing, giving up her life and damning herself for the rest of eternity, and all just to be with me, made no sense to me, I was a monster, how could she ever want to be like me, or with me for that matter but she did. And the thought of it, at times made me happy, I could have Bella forever. I was a selfish monster.

I wanted her to have every experience a normal girl her age would have. I didn't want to take anything away from her. I was sure that I could at least talk her into a semester of college, maybe two. And then maybe, hopefully she would change her mind. The thought made me relieved and sad at the same time. As much as I wanted her to be mine forever, I also wanted what was best for her. And an eternity as a monster was not what was best, even if it was the most convenient option for me.

I exited the car just in time to hear Charlie ask Bella what my plans were for college. I figured I would save Bella from a conversation I knew she didn't want to have, and rapped on the door three times.

"Coming!" I heard her angelic voice call.

I also heard Charlie as he muttered "Go away" but didn't let it affect me. I was accustomed to the fact that he would never be my biggest fan

I smiled as the door opened and I was face to face with my beautiful Bella.

All the anticipation of the evening, the waiting, the wanting, all of it was worth it for this moment. Her deep, brown eyes, so full of emotion I couldn't look away, her skin so warm and soft compared to my hard, marble frame, all of it is almost too much to take the first time I see her after an absence. It never ceased to amaze me how perfect she was, and left me to wonder how I got so lucky as to call her mine. Our fingers interlaced as her hand found mine, and in that moment I felt whole again.

"Hey," she said, then smiled. I raised our hands to stroke her perfectly smooth cheek.

"How was your afternoon?" I asked, although I already knew the answer. We both dealt with anxiety at being separated from each other for an extended period of time.

"Slow," she replied.

"For me, as well," I told her as I gently pulled her wrist to my face. I smiled as I took in her scent. As painful as her scent had once been to me, now it was simply one more on a never ending list of things I loved about her.

Charlie interrupted our moment with his not so welcoming thoughts towards me. As he over exaggerated his steps towards us, I dropped our hands, still laced together, to our sides.

"Good evening, Charlie," I greeted him politely. I didn't blame him for despising me, I deserved it. And his unconditional love for his daughter was enough to make me overlook any ill will he had towards me. I glanced at Bella. "I brought another set of applications," I told her, showing her the envelope and stamps in my unoccupied hand.

She groaned in response, and even without being able to read her mind, I knew what she was thinking. "There are still a few open deadlines. And a few places willing to make exceptions." The expression she gave me, one of disbelief, made me laugh. "Shall we?" I asked, gesturing towards the kitchen table.

We entered the tiny kitchen with Charlie following closely behind us. He was definitely keeping a close eye on us, particularly me, these days. Bella got to work clearing the table while I laid out the various forms I had for her to fill out. I watched her remove a worn copy of Wuthering Heights, and wondered why on earth she was reading it again. She had to have it memorized by now.

I was about to comment when Charlie interrupted. "Speaking of college applications, Edward," he started, speaking directly to me for the first time in weeks. "Bella and I were just talking about next year. Have you decided where you're going to school?" Hopefully in Guam.

I smiled, trying not to laugh, "Not yet. I've received a few acceptance letters, but I'm still weighing my options."

"Where have you been accepted?" He asked, trying to sound disinterested, although his thoughts betrayed him.

"Syracuse…Harvard…Dartmouth…and I just got accepted to the University of Alaska Southeast today," I replied nonchalantly, turning slightly to wink at Bella, who had to suppress her laughter.

"Harvard? Dartmouth?" Impressive. Charlie repeated dumbfounded. "Well that's pretty…" he paused "That's something." But wait… "Yeah, but the University of Alaska…you wouldn't really consider that when you could go Ivy League. I mean, your father would want you to…" he wasn't thinking of my father, just of him and any way possible to get me away from his daughter.

"Carlisle's always fine with whatever I choose to do." I answered him honestly.

"Hmph," was his response.

"Guess what, Edward?" Bella said in a voice that was almost too cheery.

"What, Bella?" I asked, knowing full well what she was going to say.

"I just got my acceptance to the University of Alaska!" she exclaimed.

I smiled at her. "Congratulations! What a coincidence."

Coincidence my…."Fine," Charlie exclaimed as he glared at us from across the table. "I'm going to watch the game, Bella. Nine-thirty." Even if you aren't grounded anymore, I don't want him in my house longer than necessary. Bella was off house arrest? My excitement soared at the thought.

"Er, Dad? Remember the very recent discussion about my freedom…?" Bella innocently pressed.

Charlie sighed resignedly. "Right. Okay ten-thirty." he glared. "You still have a curfew on school nights."

"Bella's no longer grounded?" I asked, the excitement showing in my voice.

"Conditionally," Charlie replied coldly. "What's it to you?" That doesn't give you permission to spend every waking minute with her.

"It's just good to know," I replied, "Alice has been itching for a shopping partner, and I'm sure Bella would love to see some city lights." I smiled at her then, knowing how being cooped up in the house had been driving her mad.

Is he an idiot? "No!" Charlie snarled at me.

"Dad! What's the problem?" Bella half-yelled at her father, looking slightly embarrassed by his outbreak.

Imagine him, encouraging Bella to go to Seattle now, with all the murders going on. "I don't want you going to Seattle right now." He replied, trying to sound calm.

"Huh?" Bella asked, obviously confused.

"I told you about the story in the paper—there's some kind of gang on a killing spree in Seattle and I want you to steer clear, okay?" Even if he doesn't think twice about putting you in harm's way.

His implication that I would allow Bella to do anything remotely dangerous was mildly irritating. If he only knew the great lengths I'd gone to ensure her safety, if he only knew that my very existence depended on her being safe and well and happy…but he didn't know. Of course he didn't. And so I could not fault him for thinking of me as another typical teenage boy, fueled by testosterone and not having his daughter's best interests at heart. He didn't know how precious she was to me, how she was my entire world… my entire reason for existing.

"Dad, there's a better chance that I'll get struck by lightning than that on the one day I'm in Seattle"

"No, that's fine, Charlie," I interrupted her, as I scanned the story on the front page of the newspaper. "I didn't mean Seattle. I was thinking Portland, actually. I wouldn't have Bella in Seattle, either. Of course not."

"Fine," he finally shrugged, and headed towards the living room.

Bella turned towards me with a suspicious look. "What—" she started, but I cut her off.

"Hold on," I replied, pushing the first application towards her. "I think you can recycle your essays for this one. Same questions." Charlie was still listening to us, not yet sucked in by the game.

Bella sighed and began the tedious task of filling out the information, as I read the newspaper story again. Five people murdered over the past two weeks. And the police had nothing to go on. I set the paper aside and stared out the window. Of course, I already knew about the murders, as it had been a hot discussion amongst my family, but the numbers were rising steadily, and the police were doing no good in finding the culprits. But the lack of evidence, and the way the humans were being killed, it all pointed to one thing. Newborns. And apparently their numbers were increasing. The question was, who was behind the sudden outbreak? What was the reason for their creation…

My thoughts were cut short as Bella scoffed and pushed her application away from her. "Bella?" I inquired.

"Be serious, Edward. Dartmouth?" she asked with the disbelief painted on her face.

I put the application back in front of her, wishing she wouldn't underestimate herself so much. "I think you'd like New Hampshire," I started. "There's a full Complement of night classes for me, and the forests are conveniently located for the avid hiker, Plentiful wildlife." I smiled my persuasive smile at her, trying to will her to continue the application. "I'll let you pay me back, if that makes you happy," I told her, although we both knew I would happily pay her tuition and accept nothing in return. "If you want, I can charge you interest."

"Like I could even get in without some enormous bribe. Or was that part of the loan? The new Cullen wing of library? Ugh. Why are we having this discussion again?" she accused.

I closed my eyes in frustration. The only thing I would ever want to change about Bella would be the way she viewed herself. She could get into Dartmouth easily by just being Bella, without any help for me. "Will you just fill out the application, please, Bella? It won't hurt you to apply."

"You know what?" she started, "I don't think I will." The look in her eyes told me that she was about to destroy the papers, but luckily, my vampire reflexes came in handy at that moment. I snatched the application and hid it away in my jacket before she even had a chance to reach for it. "What are you doing?" she asked, sounding annoyed.

"I sign your name better than you do yourself. You've already written the essays," I answered. If she wasn't going to believe in herself, I would have to do it for her.

"You're going way overboard with this, you know," her voice was quiet, apparently afraid Charlie would overhear our discussion, although his thoughts showed that he was completely absorbed with the game. "I really don't need to apply anywhere else. I've been accepted in Alaska. I can almost afford the first semester's tuition," as if I'd let her pay for it. "It's as good an alibi as any. There's no need to throw away a bunch of money, no matter who's it is."

I realized that she still had every intention of becoming one of us after graduation, and no intention of actually attending college. The thought of taking away another perfectly normal human experience from her hurt me in an unexplainable way. "Bella—" I started.

"Don't start." She begged. "I agree that I need to go through the motions for Charlie's sake, but we both know I'm not going to be in any condition to go to school next fall. To be anywhere near people."

Not if I can help it, I thought, but knew I had better keep my voice low and calm to get her to listen to me. "I thought the timing was still undecided. You might enjoy a semester or two of college. There are a lot of human experiences you've never had."

"I'll get to those afterward," she replied simply.

"They won't be human experiences afterward. You don't get a second chance at humanity, Bella," I explained, trying to make her understand the intensity of her decision.

She sighed then. "You've got to be reasonable about the timing, Edward. It's just too dangerous to mess around with."

I wasn't willing to give up that easily. "There's no danger yet."

She glared at me then, and I knew she was thinking about all the other dangers surrounding us right now. Besides Victoria, wanting to avenge her mate James' death by ending Bella's life, there was the Volturi, who had made it clear that Bella was to become one of us, or be destroyed, because she knew too much about our kind. Her face suddenly twisted with worry, and her pain became my own. "Bella," I snapped her out of her trance, reading her features, "There's no hurry. I won't let anyone hurt you. You can take all the time you need." I was trying to calm her fears, but I meant what I said. I would use every resource I had to make sure that Bella was safe. She would not make this monumental decision based on fear.

"I want to hurry," she smiled, her voice not supporting her words. "I want to be a monster, too."

Although I knew she was trying to joke to lighten the mood, her words triggered an angry expression in me. She wasn't thinking this through properly. She didn't know what she was about to become. Especially with the new dangers in Seattle, I had to make her see exactly what she was getting in to. "You have no idea what you're saying." I told her as I threw the newspaper on the table. I pointed out the headline.

"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked, confused.

"Monsters are not a joke, Bella," I said, a little more hard than I meant to. She looked at the newspaper and then back at me, as comprehension seeped into her features.

"A…A _vampire _is doing this?" she said in a voice barely audible to the human ear.

I smiled coldly, glad she was finally starting to understand how horrible my kind could be. "You'd be surprised, Bella, at how often my kind are the source behind the horrors in your human news. It's easy to recognize, when you know what to look for. The information here indicates a newborn vampire is loose in Seattle. Bloodthirsty, wild, out of control. The way we all were." She dropped her eyes from my face, not wanting me to read her expression. "We've been monitoring the situation for a few weeks. All the signs are there the unlikely disappearances, always in the night, the poorly disposed of corpses, the lack of other evidence…Yes, someone brand new. And no one seems to be taking responsibility for the neophyte…" I cut off then, not adding that with the recent deaths, it was probably more than one newborn on the loose. "Well, it's not our problem. We wouldn't even pay attention to the situation if it wasn't going on so close to home. Like I said, this happens all the time. The existence of monsters results in monstrous consequences."

She was quiet for a long moment, more than likely soaking in all the information I had given her. "It won't be the same for me. You won't let me be like that. We'll live in Antarctica."

I couldn't help but let a slight laugh escape my throat at the thought of that. "Penguins. Lovely," I replied.

Bella laughed her nervous laugh, and knocked the newspaper to the floor. I knew she didn't want to think about the monsters in Seattle anymore. "Alaska, then, as planned. Only somewhere much more remote than Juneau—somewhere with grizzlies galore."

She was trying to lighten the mood, and I was grateful to let her. All of the serious talk took away from the little quality time we had together. "Better," I told her. "There are polar bears, too. Very fierce. And the wolves get quite large." Bella looked at me like she had just had the wind knocked out of her. "What's wrong?" I asked, concern and confusion coloring my face. Then it hit me. Wolves. Not wolves, in general, just one wolf. Jacob Black. Stupid, Edward, very stupid. My voice was hard as I replied, "Oh. Never mind the wolves, then, if the idea is offensive to you."

"He was my best friend, Edward. Of course the idea offends me," she replied. I could tell from the way her voice broke that talking about that dog still hurt her. I couldn't understand the connection they had, and to be honest, I was happy they no longer spoke. Although seeing the pain in Bella's eyes as she talked of him made me hurt for her, despite my personal feelings for Jacob.

"Please forgive my thoughtlessness," I apologized half-heartedly, my voice still hard. "I shouldn't have suggested that."

She didn't meet my eyes as she replied, "Don't worry about it," and stared at her fists on the table.

We were quiet then, her probably thinking about her lost friend, me thinking about what an idiot I was to bring it up. I hated that the pained look on her face at this moment was caused by me. Slowly I reached out to her, brining her chin up with my finger, wanting to comfort her. "Sorry. Really," I said in my most apologetic voice.

"I know. I know it's not the same thing. I shouldn't have reacted that way. It's just that…well, I was already thinking about Jacob before you came over," she hesitated, obviously reading the disappointment in my face. "Charlie says Jake is having a hard time. He's hurting right now, and…it's my fault."

It was typical Bella fashion to place blame on herself without looking at the bigger picture. "You've done nothing wrong, Bella," I told her.

"I need to make it better, Edward. I owe him that. And it's one of Charlie's conditions, anyway—"

In that moment, I hated Jacob Black more than ever. That mongrel would do anything, including making Bella feel completely consumed by misplaced guilt, to get time with her away from me. His delusion that if he could get her alone, he could convince her to be with him instead of me was ludicrous. I didn't spend most of my time keeping her safe to let her just run off with the dog whenever she felt guilty. A young werewolf was unpredictable, unstable, and unsafe. And Jacob Black in his human form was probably just as dangerous. No, I would not, could not, let her be alone with him.

"You know it's out of the question to be around a werewolf unprotected, Bella. And it would break the treaty if any of us cross over into their land. Do you want us to start a war?" I asked her, my face a hard stone mask. It was a low-blow, I'll admit.

"Of course not!"

"Then there's really no point in discussing this further," I replied, scanning the room for something else to talk about. My eyes flickered to the book on the counter, Wuthering Heights. Bella had read it time and time again and never seemed to tire of it. It was just another thing about her mind that I didn't understand. "I'm glad Charlie has decided to let you out—you're sadly in need of a visit to a bookstore," I told her, keeping my tone light. "I can't believe you're reading _Wuthering Heights_ again. Don't you know it by heart yet?"

"Not all of us have photographic memories," she replied, still sounding rather annoyed.

"Photographic memory or not, I don't understand why you like it. The characters are ghastly people who ruin each other's lives. I don't know how Heathcliff and Cathy ended up being ranked with couples like Romeo and Juliet or Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. It isn't a love story, it's a hate story."

Just as I knew it would, my rant on her favorite book temporarily distracted her. "You have some serious issues with the classics," she snapped at me.

"Perhaps it's because I'm not impressed by antiquity," I replied. "Honestly, though, why do you read it over and over? What is it that appeals to you?" I asked, taking her face in my hands. Finding out Bella's deepest thoughts was always a thrill to me, being that I couldn't just read her mind to find out.

"I'm not sure," she answered. "I think it's something about the inevitability. How nothing can keep them apart—not her selfishness, or his evil, or even death, in the end…"

Bella's thoughts never ceased to amaze me. She was so bright, and so insightful, for being so young. She really was amazing. I smiled at her, "I still think it would be a better story if either of them had one redeeming quality."

"I think that may be the point. Their love _is_ their only redeeming quality."

"I hope you have better sense than that," I teased. "to fall in love with someone so…malignant."

"It's a bit late for me to worry about who I fall in love with," she answered. "But even without the warning, I seem to have managed pretty well."

I laughed softly at her statement. After all the trouble, the near-death experiences, James, Victoria, the Volturi, she still thought that I was some sort of a catch. When in reality, I was most certainly the lucky one. "I'm glad you think so."

"Well, I hope you're smart enough to stay away from someone so selfish. Catherine is really the source of all the trouble, not Heathcliff." She retorted.

"I'll be on my guard."

Bella sighed and I knew my moment of distraction was coming to an end. "I need to see Jacob." She said softly.

I should have known she wouldn't give up so easily. "No," I said simply.

Her voice turned begging again. "It's truly not dangerous at all. I used to spend all day in La Push with the whole lot of them, and nothing ever happened." But her voice broke as she said the words. Not being able to read her mind, I wasn't sure what she was remembering, but it was something that proved to herself that what she had just said was a lie. That much was clear by the look on her face, and the way her heart was hammering in her chest.

I nodded. "Werewolves are unstable. Sometimes, the people near them get hurt. Sometimes, they get killed."

Bella couldn't deny what I had just said. She had seen firsthand what the werewolves were capable of, all she had to do was take a look at the alpha, Sam's, mate, Emily, whose face had been mauled when Sam lost control. I waited patiently for her response. "You don't know them," her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I know them better than you think, Bella. I was here the last time."

"The last time?" she questioned.

I decided to tell her the whole story then, hoping it would make her better understand my position. "We started crossing paths with the wolves about seventy years ago…We had just settled near Hoquiam. That was before Alice and Jasper were with us. We outnumbered them, but that wouldn't have stopped it from turning into a fight if not for Carlisle. He managed to convince Ephraim Black that coexisting was possible, and eventually we made a truce."

As I told the story, I started getting lost in my own thoughts, no longer really talking to Bella. "We thought the line had died out with Ephraim. That the genetic quirk which allowed the transformation had been lost…" Bella was staring at me now, and I tried to lighten the mood. "Your bad luck seems to get more potent every day. Do you realize that your insatiable pull for all things deadly was strong enough to recover a pack of mutant canines from extinction? If we could bottle your luck, we'd have a weapon of mass destruction on our hands."

Bella ignored my kidding tone, and was suddenly serious. "But I didn't bring them back. Don't you know?"

"Know what?"

"My bad luck had nothing to do with it. The werewolves came back because the vampires did," her statement caught me off guard. "Jacob told me that your family being here set things in motion. I thought you would already know…"

"Is that what they think?" I asked. So the dogs blamed us for their mutations. I shouldn't have been surprised. One of their greatest gifts was laying unwarranted blame.

"Edward, look at the facts," Bella started. "Seventy years ago you came here, and the werewolves showed up. You come back now, and the werewolves show up again. Do you think that's a coincidence?"

I stared at her. She couldn't be right. "Carlisle will be interested in that theory," I told her.

"Theory," she said, indicating that she thought it was much more than that. That it was the truth.

I contemplated what Bella had told me. It wasn't possible to think that my family and I were the cause of mutant canines. It wasn't reasonable to believe that it was our fault they were here…was it?

"Interesting," I said, breaking the silence. "but not exactly relevant. The situation remains the same."

Although I didn't want her angry with me, I couldn't risk letting Bella put herself in a situation that may be harmful to her. If anything happened to her while she was in La Push, and I had just let her go, I would never forgive myself. I couldn't lose her again.

She got up from the table then, coming to sit on my lap. I opened my arms willingly, basking in the warmth of her body on mine. I inhaled her scent, so sweet, so unique. I couldn't imagine not having these moments with her again. There was no way I was ever letting her go.

"Please just listen for a minute," she pleaded. "This is so much more important than some whim to drop in on an old friend. Jacob is in pain. I can't not try to help him. I can't give up on him now, when he needs me. Just because he's not human all the time…Well, he was there for me when I was…not so human myself." I stiffened then. Of course I knew that it was my fault that she had any sort of tie to Jacob Black at all. And I probably deserved to be reminded of the pain I had put Bella in every day for the rest of my existence. But that didn't make it any easier to hear. "You don't know what it was like…" she broke off, apparently not wanting to hurt me with her words.

She was slightly wrong about that. Although I didn't know firsthand the hell I had put my beautiful Bella through, I had seen the memories through those who were closest to her. I had seen how she looked the night I had left, how she had withdrawn from everybody in her life. And it was all my fault.

"If Jacob hadn't helped me…I'm not sure what you would have come home to," she continued. "I owe him better than this, Edward."

"I'll never forgive myself for leaving you," I told her honestly. "Not if I live a hundred thousand years."

Her hand soothed my face then, soft and warm. It was only then I realized I had closed my eyes. I sighed and opened my eyes, taking in the beauty of her face.

"You were just trying to do the right thing," she soothed. "And I'm sure it would have worked with anyone less mental than me. Besides, you're here now. That's the part that matters."

Of course she was trying to make me feel better. That was her nature. "If I'd never left you, you wouldn't feel the need to go risk your life to comfort a dog."

She flinched, and I knew the use of words like that to describe her friend bothered her. But I just couldn't help myself. I needed to make myself perfectly clear. "I don't know how to phrase this properly," I started. "It's going to sound cruel, I suppose. But I've come too close to losing you in the past. I know what it feels like to think I have. I am _not _going to tolerate anything dangerous."

"You have to trust me on this, I'll be fine," she promised.

Unfortunately, I couldn't promise her that _I'd _be fine if she went. I would worry every second she was out of my arms. And it wasn't just her physical safety I was worried about, although that was a major concern. But her emotional state was also worrisome. There were so many things that dog could _say _that would cause Bella even more guilt or worry…or pain…than she already felt. I didn't know that she could take much more, and I knew that I wouldn't handle being separated from her like that very well. No, I did not want her to go to him. "Please, Bella," I pleaded.

"Please what?" she asked, sounding concerned.

"Please, for me. Please make a conscious effort to keep yourself safe. I'll do everything I can, but I'd appreciate a little help."

"I'll work on it," she said, slightly annoyed.

"Do you really have any idea how important you are to me? Any concept at all of how much I love you?"

"I know how much I love you," she replied, kissing my neck.

I knew it was the truth. But it was hard to believe that the human love she felt for me even compared with that which I felt for her. The word love felt so insignificant when compared with my feelings for her, I couldn't imagine she could feel the same. "You compare one small tree to the entire forest."

"Impossible," she stated simply.

The thought of my love, my life, willingly putting her safety at risk into the hands of werewolves, and young ones at that, evoked an emotion in me I couldn't put into words. I would do whatever it took to keep her safe, and away from La Push. She would not see Jacob Black. She couldn't. I would not allow her to go there willingly and alone for that matter.

"No werewolves," I said as I kissed her head.

"I'm not going along with that. I have to see Jacob," she said, always defiant.

"Then I'll have to stop you." It wouldn't be all that difficult. With me seeing the minds of those around her, and Alice able to watch her future, we could basically watch her around the clock if need be. I hated imposing on her privacy like that, but if that's what it took, I would do it gladly. She just didn't understand the danger with werewolves, even after seeing Sam's mates mauled face. Still nothing to worry about. In Bella's world ferocious mountain lions were kittens.

"We'll see about that," she stated, trying to sound confident. "He's still my friend."

And we shall see about that, I thought, and hugged her closer. La Push was out of the question. I had to keep her from Jacob Black, at all cost.

**A/N: should i continue or not!?!? click that tiny button down there and tell me watcha think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for such a long break between updates... my mommom past away:-( so its all been a lil crazy, havnt had time to sit down and keep writing or wasnt in the mood... but updates should cont now more often like normal... **

**please read and review!! **

Although I had experienced it more times than I cared to remember, there was something exhilarating about ones final days as a high school senior. Every student was giddy and eager to move on with the next phase of their lives. Human thoughts suddenly turned to graduation, college, and futures. It was all very interesting. Alice and I were playing the part again this year, but I was a bit more enthusiastic than years past, as it was Bella's first, and if I had my way, only time graduating high school. I found myself excited for her, even if she wasn't so excited herself. Graduation was the hot topic at our table in the cafeteria that day.

"Have you sent your announcements yet?" Angela Weber asked Bella. I rather liked Angela, for a human. Her thoughts were always pure and kind, and she was genuine. She adored Bella, and worried about her, which I could appreciate.

"No," Bella replied. "There's no point, really. Renee knows when I'm graduating. Who else is there?"

"How about you, Alice?" Angela turned to my sister.

"All done," she lied. All part of the human façade.

"Lucky you. My mother has a thousand cousins and she expects me to hand-address one to everybody. I'm going to get carpal tunnel. I can't put it off any longer and I'm just dreading it," Angela complained.

Bella volunteered without hesitation. "I'll help you. If you don't mind my awful handwriting."

I smiled. This was good. Bella hanging out with friends that weren't me would please her father, and Angela was a nice girl. Plus, a good distraction was what she needed to put other friends out of her mind. I definitely approved of this plan.

"That's so nice of you," Angela exclaimed. "I'll come over anytime you want."

"Actually, I'd rather go to your house if that's okay. I'm sick of mine. Charlie un-grounded me last night," Bella beamed at her announcement.

"Really? I thought you said you were in for life," Angela replied excitedly.

"I'm more surprised than you are," Bella replied. "I was sure I would at least have finished high school before he set me free."

Angela was genuinely happy for Bella, and her thoughts drifted to different things they could do together. "Well, this is great, Bella! We'll have to go out and celebrate!"

"You have no idea how good that sounds," Bella sighed wistfully.

Suddenly, Alice's thoughts were screaming excitedly in my head. _Bella's free! I'll bet she's so excited, she'll even let me take her shopping! Oh, she wants to celebrate, let's see…_ "What should we do?" she voiced out loud. She wanted to take Bella shopping all over.

I threw my sister a disapproving look as her thoughts drifted to torturing my poor Bella with endless shopping trips in exotic locations. "Whatever you're thinking, Alice, I doubt I'm _that_ free." Bella said suddenly, not needing my mind-reading abilities to recognize what Alice must be thinking.

"Free is free, right?"

"I'm sure I still have boundaries the continental U.S, for example."

Alice's face fell. "So, what are we doing tonight?"

"Nothing," Bella said quickly, exasperation evident in her voice. "Look, let's give it a couple of days to make sure he wasn't joking. It's a school night, anyway."

Not one to let Bella stamp out her enthusiasm, Alice replied, "We'll celebrate this weekend, then."

"Sure," Bella told her, in an obvious attempt to quiet the persistent pixie that was my sister.

Everyone began making plans for Bella's _Celebration of Freedom, _as they were calling it. Bella herself seemed to be lost in thought about something else completely, and I was about to inquire about what, when I saw Alice stiffen in her seat across from me with the far-off look that I knew so well.

I saw the vision playing in her head as she did. Victoria was coming, and it looked like she would arrive in Forks during the weekend. She was trying to track Bella, following her scent.

"Alice? Alice!" Angela's confused voice cut the vision off. I laughed then, and kicked Alice under the table to snap her out of it.

"Is it naptime already, Alice?" I asked her in a teasing tone.

"Sorry, I was daydreaming, I guess," she said, easily slipping back into her animated self.

"Daydreaming's better than facing two more hours of school," Ben interjected.

The conversation continued around me, as I contemplated Alice's vision. We knew the day was coming when Victoria would be back, but we never expected it to be this soon. Alice locked eyes with me. _What are you going to do? _She asked silently. That was a good question. I knew Bella would be safe, even if Victoria came. My entire family would be protecting her, not to mention the wolves if Victoria stumbled upon La Push territory. But, protective of Bella as I was, I would have felt much better getting her out of Forks over the weekend. It would also be a good idea for her not to know about this little vision of Alice's. I needed to find a good reason for her to leave.

First things first, I knew Bella would be cornering me about Alice's vision the minute we were alone, so I used the rest of the day to make sure she didn't have a chance. I always paced ourselves with others between our classes, and even struck up a conversation with the vile Mike Newton once the dismissal bell had rung. I overheard him complaining about his vehicle, and although that is not my area of expertise, I offered my assistance. Anything to put off the inevitable questions waiting for me when Bella got me alone.

"…but I just replaced the battery." Mike said. He was baffled as to why I was trying to help him.

I honestly had no idea what could be causing his car trouble, but I was a seasoned enough liar to seem that I knew what I was talking about. "Perhaps it's the cables?" I would have to consult with Rosalie later.

"Maybe. I really don't know anything about cars. I need to have someone look at it, but I can't afford to take it to Dowling's."

Perfect. "I know a few things, I could take a look, if you like. Just let me drop Alice and Bella at home." That would give me an hour, at least. I was still in need of a solid plan.

Mike looked bewildered.

"Er…thanks. But I have to get to work. Maybe some other time."

"Absolutely." I replied, a tad angry that Newton couldn't even be counted on as an excuse. He really wasn't good for much.

We reached the Volvo, with Alice already inside. She had been informed earlier that her job was to distract Bella the whole ride home, not letting her get a word in. That would be an easy task for Alice the chatterbox.

"What was _that_ about?" Bella demanded as I opened her door.

"Just being helpful."

Alice began talking the second I closed my door. "You're really not _that_ good of a mechanic, Edward. Maybe you should have Rosalie look at it tonight, just so you look good if Mike decides to let you help, you know. Not that it wouldn't be fun to watch his face if _Rosalie _showed up to help. But since Rosalie is supposed to be across the country attending college, I guess that's not the best idea. Too bad. Though, I suppose, for Mike's car, you'll do. It's only within the finer tunings of a good Italian sports car that you're out of your depth. And speaking of Italy, and sports cars I stole there, you still owe me a yellow Porsche. I don't know that I want to wait for Christmas…"

I laughed under my breath at my sister. If there was one thing she was good at, it was filling a silence. I looked over at Bella, who had long since tuned Alice out. She knew I was up to something, and I'm sure she also realized that sooner or later, I would have to be alone with her. Soon enough, we were at our driveway, and Alice began to exit the car. _You're on your own now. I think you should tell her the truth, Edward. _

"See you later," I told her. _I'm serious, Edward. She won't be happy if she finds out you lied to her. _I nodded slightly, letting her know I heard her, as she shut the door and disappeared up the driveway.

The drive to the Swan residence was silent. I didn't know if Bella was waiting to see if I would bring up what happened at lunch on my own, or if she was strategizing a way to get the truth out of me. This was one of those times when reading her mind would be of great help. When we were parked in her driveway, I could take the silence no more.

"Light homework load tonight," I offered lamely, attempting to make small talk.

"Mmm," was all I got in response.

"Do you suppose I'm allowed inside again?" I inquired.

"Charlie didn't throw a fit when you picked me up for school." She said. At least out loud, he hadn't complained. His thoughts, however were a different story. They had ranged from anger at me, to regret at himself for not keeping Bella grounded until she was thirty.

We entered the house, and went up to her room, where I lounged on her bed as she sat at her old computer. I knew she was getting wary of my evasiveness, but I still didn't have a solid plan of action. Bella caught my attention as she drummed her fingers against the desk loudly, her slow computer not easing her impatience. I stood and quickly crossed the room to her, placing my cool hand on her warm one. "Are we a little impatient today?" I asked, leaning forward, inches from her face.

She turned around, quickly forgetting what she was about to say. I knew the best way to distract her from her mood was to "dazzle" her, as she so often put it. Listening to her erratic heartbeat as she felt my cool breath on her lips, I could take the temptation no longer. I brought my lips to hers, with more force than usual. One hand combed through her hair, as the other ran down her back, crushing her closer to me. The feeling I got from kissing Bella was indescribable. As much as I loved the warmth and softness of her lips, I only had so much self control, so our kisses usually ended after a few short seconds, leaving both of us unsatisfied. But I couldn't risk losing control and accidentally hurting her.

She seemed to sense that I was about to pull away, because she used all her strength to hold me to her body. She knew I could break her grasp easily, but this didn't stop her attempt. Then, suddenly, the tip of her tongue slipped through to trace the outline of my lower lip. The feeling was unlike anything I had ever felt before, so tempting and amazingly pleasurable. I wanted to keep going, but knew I had to break away from her immediately, or risk losing the sense of control I fought so hard to perfect.

As I pulled away, I saw the smug look on her face, and laughed. "Ah, Bella," I sighed.

"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not," she said breathlessly.

"And I should feel sorry that you're not sorry, but I don't. Maybe I should sit on the bed."

"If you think that's necessary…" she trailed off, looking a little faint. Her face was flushed a beautiful pink. I smiled lovingly at her, and untangled her body from mine.

"Tell Renee I said hello," I told her as I made my way across her bedroom.

"Sure thing," she replied.

I took in her room, trying to think up something I could say that would get her to leave Forks this weekend on her own accord. That's when I saw it. Her open closet revealed the box of presents from my family she had received on her horror of an eighteenth birthday. As much as I hated thinking about that day, the gift from Carlisle and Esme could be escape I was looking for. Of course, she would insist I join her, as there was a ticket for me as well. I quickly decided that keeping Bella safe was worth missing Victoria being destroyed. I grabbed the box and glanced through it, stopping when I saw what once must have been her stereo, but was now a mess of wires.

"What did you _do_ to this?" I asked, horrified.

"It didn't want to come out of the dashboard," she replied innocently.

"So you felt the need to torture it?"

"You know how I am with tools. No pain was inflicted intentionally." She shrugged.

I shook my head, amused. "You killed it."

"Oh well."

"It would hurt their feelings if they saw this. I guess it's a good thing that you've been on house arrest. I'll have to get another one in place before they notice." I told her.

"Thanks, but I don't need a fancy stereo."

"It's not for your sake that I'm going to replace it," I said, and she sighed. " You didn't get much good out of your birthday presents last year," I continued, fanning myself with the plane tickets to Florida my "parents" had bought her. "Do you realize these are about to expire?"

She looked at me, becoming visibly upset as she thought of her disastrous birthday party. "No. I'd forgotten all about them, actually."

She didn't seem happy. I tried to be positive, but not overly eager so she'd suspect what I was up to. "Well we still have a little time. You've been liberated…and we have no plans this weekend, as you refuse to go to prom with me. Why not celebrate your freedom this way?"

"By going to Florida?" She gasped.

"You did say something about the continental U.S. being allowable," I joked. She glared at me, as if trying to see through me to my true motivations. This would be more difficult than I originally imagined. "Well? Are we going to see Renee or not?"

"Charlie will never allow it," she tried.

"Charlie can't keep you from visiting your mother. She still has primary custody." I countered.

"Nobody has custody of me. I'm an adult."

"Exactly."

She seemed to think it over, her face conflicting. I knew how badly she wanted to see her mother, and I hoped the temptation would make her accept my proposal. She sighed. "Not this weekend."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to fight with Charlie. Not so soon after he's forgiven me," she said. I really couldn't argue with that.

"I think this weekend is perfect."

"Another time," she said, shaking her head.

I resorted to being desperate. "You aren't the only one who's been trapped in this house, you know." I knew that wouldn't work. She knew that I loved being trapped anywhere as long as I was with her.

She gave me a suspicious look. "You can go anywhere you want."

"The outside world holds no interest for me without you," I told her. It was true, if not over the top, but she rolled her eyes at me. "I'm serious."

"Let's take the outside world slowly, all right? For example, we could start with a movie in Port Angeles…" she hinted.

I groaned. "Never mind. We'll talk about it later."

"There's nothing left to talk about," she countered.

I shrugged, letting it drop for now. I knew that with some careful guidance on my part, she would eventually agree. I didn't like having to use my power of persuasion to convince Bella to do things my way, but desperate times…

"Okay, then, new subject," she said, breaking my chain of thought. "What did Alice see today at lunch?"

I kept my face composed, a mask. She was measuring my expressions as I spoke. "She's been seeing Jasper in a strange place, somewhere in the southwest, she thinks, near his former…family. But he has no conscious intentions to go back. It's got her worried."

I wasn't exactly sure where that story had come from. It was not even close to the truth, and I instantly regretted lying to her, but I quickly pushed those thoughts to the side. If it meant keeping her safe, then I had to do it. She seemed to believe me. "Oh. Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I didn't realize you'd noticed," I lied. "It's probably nothing important, in any case."

I could tell she felt guilty for thinking I was hiding something from her, which in turn made me feel guilty because I _was_ hiding something from her. But once again, I had to push those thoughts to the side to keep her safe.

We went downstairs then, doing homework until Bella decided to make Charlie's dinner. I helped the best I could, trying not to look as thoroughly disgusted as I felt handling human food. Bella laughed at my expressions. Charlie was much less hostile towards me than normal when he came home, his thoughts on an upcoming fishing trip. I excused myself to the family room while they ate, my mind plotting the next phase of my plan to get Bella to Florida.

"That was great, Bells." Charlie's voice rose from the kitchen. They had apparently finished their meal, both of too lost in thought for conversation while eating.

"I'm glad you liked it," she replied. "How was work?"

"Sort of slow. Well, dead slow really. Mark and I played cards for a good part of the afternoon. I won, nineteen hands to seven." His thoughts shifted then, to my chagrin. "And then I was on the phone with Billy for a while."

"How is he?" Bella asked, seeming disinterested. I knew what she really wanted to know was how Jacob was.

"Good, good," Charlie replied conversationally. "His joints are bothering him a little."

"Oh. That's too bad."

"Yeah. He invited us down to visit this weekend." I stiffened as he spoke. "He was thinking of having the Clearwaters and the Uleys over too. Sort of a playoff party…" he trailed off.

"Huh," Bella replied, knowing I would be listening. I stood then, heading to the kitchen. I was now even more determined that Bella would be out of town this weekend. I walked to the kitchen, standing in the doorway. I knew Bella would be irritated with me after this, but I also knew it wouldn't be too hard to be forgiven.

"Charlie," I said, as he stood from the table.

"Yeah?" he was annoyed.

"Did Bella ever tell you that my parents gave her airplane tickets on her last birthday, so that she could visit Renee?"

The plate Bella had been washing clattered to the floor, her eyes growing wide as she looked towards me like a deer caught in the headlights. I was going to be in trouble later, but she needed to go, and she really did miss her mother.

"Bella?" Charlie asked her, surprised. He wondered why Bella hadn't told him about it earlier. Knowing that both Bella and her mother wanted to see each other.

"Yeah, they did," she replied, not meeting his eyes.

_Do I even want to know where this is going? _"No, she never mentioned it." He said to me, glaring.

"Hmm," I replied passively, watching Bella as she nervously tried to gain her composure. "Was there a reason you brought it up?" He asked me, agitated.

I shrugged, "They're about to expire. I think it might hurt Esme's feelings if Bella doesn't use her gift. Not that she'd say anything."

As much as Charlie despised me as of late, he overall liked and respected my family, particularly Alice and Esme. I knew he wouldn't want Esme's feelings to get hurt.

He thought it was a good idea, he knew Renee missed Bella terribly, and he thought it was thoughtful of my family to get her such a gift. "It's probably a good idea for you to visit your mom, Bella. She'd love that. I'm surprised you didn't say anything about this, though."

"I forgot," she said simply.

"You forgot someone bought you plane tickets?" he didn't really believe Bella but he wasn't going to push it.

"Mmhmm," she replied, obviously wanting the subject to drop as she turned back towards the sink.

Charlie was a little slow and his toughts went back to the tickets, plurral. "I notice you said _they're _about to expire, Edward. How many tickets did your parents give her?" Charlie asked.

So he had caught that. I knew that Charlie would get angry when I told him I was going as well, which in turn would make Bella angry, and she would then insist on going. I was playing dirty, but it was necessary.

"Just one for her…" I started. "And one for me."

Bella dropped another plate, this one landing in the sink. I saw her neck heat up with anger, directed at me. I would have to deal with that later. Her heart rate sped up as she started to panic.

Charlie glared at me, his thoughts an intangible jumble of words and curses as he grew angrier. Letting out an exasperated breath, he yelled at me, "That's out of the question!" he was furious, totally against the idea. Thinking that I was going to run off to Florida with Bella and never return wit her.

I had to stifle a laugh at his thoughts, and composed my face into a mask of innocence. "Why? You just said it was a good idea for her to see her mother."

My comment just made him angrier. "You're not going anywhere with him, young lady!" This time his anger was directed at Bella.

Just as I knew she would, Bella got immediately defensive. "I'm not a child, Dad. And I'm not grounded anymore, remember?"

"Oh, yes you are. Starting now."

"For what?!" She practically screeched. I knew this would end badly, but what else could I do?

For having bad taste in boyfriends. "Because I said so!" He said in an equally aggressive tone.

"Do I need to remind you that I'm a legal adult, Charlie?" Bella asked acidly.

"This is my house – you follow my rules!"

She glared at him. "If that's how you want it. Do you want me to move out tonight? Or can I have a few days to pack?" She knew that was a low-blow, but Bella could be stubborn, and it was her natural reaction as a human teenage girl. I leaned against the counter, watching amusedly. Bella was just as stubborn and short tempered as her father.

He thought for a moment, at first that she had no where to go. But then realizing she would come with me. Knowing that was not what he wanted, far from it, he tried to calm down.

"I'll do my time without complaining when I've done something wrong, Dad," Bella continued. "But I'm not going to put up with your prejudices."

Charlie's thoughts were becoming incoherent.

"Now, I know that _you_ know that I have every right to see Mom for the weekend. You can't honestly tell me you'd object to the plan if I was going with Alice or Angela," she countered.

"Girls," Charlie replied.

"Would it bother you if I took Jacob?" At the sound of his name, my jaw clenched shut. Of course she had to pick _the dog,_ out of everyone, to prove her point. I saw her glance at me with worry etched on her face, and quickly composed myself.

_Jake didn't hurt you. Jake actually deserves you. If it got you away from Edward over there, I would be completely okay with it. _"Yes," he replied in a flat tone. "That would bother me."

"You're a rotten liar, Dad."

"Bella –" he started, but was cut off.

"It's not like I'm headed off to Vegas to be a showgirl or anything. I'm going to see _Mom_," she emphasized. "She's just as much my parental authority as you are."

"Are you implying something about Mom's ability to look after me?" Bella threw out.

Charlie winced. _Perceptive._

"You'd better hope I don't mention this to her," she warned.

"You better not. I'm not happy about this, Bella." He said, giving up.

"There's no reason for you to be upset," she stated, pulling the plug out of the sink. "So, my homework is done, your dinner is done, the dishes are done, and I'm not grounded. I'm going out. I'll be back before ten-thirty."

"Where are you going?" he asked, his face red, again with anger.

"I'm not sure. I'll keep it within a ten-mile radius though, okay?"

_No, not okay. Damn teenagers and their hormones. She's so stubborn, just like her mother. _Charlie's thoughts trailed off as he stomped out of the kitchen to watch the game. I thought Charlie was just as stubborn.

I looked at Bella, who was staring at me, irritation evident in her eyes. "We're going out?" I asked, not able to contain the enthusiasm I felt.

She glared at me. "Yes. I'd like to speak to you _alone_."

I maybe should have felt apprehension at the prospect of being yelled at, but she was quite adorable when she was angry, and I couldn't help the slight smile that graced my face with her words. We walked out the door and to the Volvo in silence. Once I was in the driver's seat, she turned to me, fire in her eyes.

"What was _that_?" She demanded.

"I know you want to see your mother, Bella you've been talking about her in your sleep. Worrying actually." That much was true. Bella was used to taking care of her mother, and she needed to see first hand that she was alright with Phil.

"I have?" She asked, her anger dissipating.

I nodded. "But, clearly, you were too much of a coward to deal with Charlie, so I interceded on your behalf."

"Interceded? You threw me to the sharks!"

I rolled my eyes at her overdramatic outburst. "I don't think you were in any danger."

"I told you I didn't want to fight with Charlie," she stated, as if it were my fault she had decided to argue with her father, rather than having a mature conversation.

"Nobody said you had to," I pointed out.

She sulked, knowing I was right. "I can't help myself when he gets all bossy like that – my natural teenage instincts overpower me."

I laughed. "Well, that's not my fault."

She stared at me, but I stared out the windshield, pretending not to notice. She would eventually figure out that I had deceived her, and I was hoping that I could make her understand when that time came.

"Does this sudden urge to see Florida have anything to do with the party at Billy's place?"

Now it was my turn to get defensive. "Nothing at all. It wouldn't matter if you were on the other side of the world, you still wouldn't be going."

She clenched her teeth together, and I knew she was trying exceptionally hard to bite her tongue. I didn't want her to think I was trying to control her, but with all the danger surrounding us right now, I didn't have much of a choice.

However, I didn't want to fight with her either. I sighed, hoping to change the subject. "So what do you want to do tonight?"

"Can we go to your house?" she asked. "I haven't seen Esme in so long."

I smiled, Esme would be ecstatic to see Bella. She had been asking about her frequently, waiting for Charlie to set her free so she could come bond with the family. Esme considered Bella another daughter, she missed Bella.. "She'll like that. Especially when she hears what we're doing this weekend." She groaned, and we were off.

We spent a relaxing evening with my family, Bella catching up with everyone, as no one other then Alice and myself had seen much of her since we had returned from Italy. Esme was, as expected, exceptionally happy when she heard of our plans to visit Renee in Florida over the weekend. She knew the real reason I was taking Bella away, and was thankful her gift was of good use. After playing chess with my siblings, we headed back to Charlie's. The lights were on when we arrived, and I listened for his thoughts, gauging his mood.

"You'd better not come inside. It will only make things worse." Bella sighed.

Charlie's thoughts interrupted her. _Good they're back. I can't believe I have to do this, but if they're going away together for the weekend, I guess I don't have a choice. She'll need to know the facts, so she doesn't do anything stupid. Why me? Well, might as well get it over and done with. What do I say? Men should not give sex talks to there daughters, wasn't this her mothers job?_ I almost lost it when I realized that Charlie was planning on giving Bella a sex talk. But I composed my face, not giving away anything. "His thoughts are relatively calm." I smiled, suppressing laughter.

She glanced at me suspiciously, as she opened the door to leave. "See you later."

I laughed at her expression, and kissed the top of her head. She looked like she was headed to the gallows. "I'll be back when Charlie's snoring."

She got out of the car, and I briefly considered listening in on her and Charlie's conversation. Although it would most definitely be entertaining, I decided against it, figuring Bella was going to have more than enough embarrassment for one night, without the knowledge that I had heard every word.

It was still relatively early, and I wasn't sure how long Charlie's "talk" would last, so I decided to go hunting in the woods a few miles north of Forks to pass the time. I parked the Volvo on the side of the deserted road and started running into the dense forest. I thoroughly enjoyed hunting. Letting my senses take over was exhilarating. I had just picked up the scent of a pack of deer when the phone in my pocket vibrated. I growled, annoyed, under my breath. I considered not answering, but it was Alice, and there was too much going on at the moment to not be informed of any important visions.

"Yes, Alice?" I replied, not bothering to hide the irritation in my voice.

"Edward? Where's Bella?" She sounded slightly panicked.

"She's at home, Alice. Charlie is still awake. I'm hunting. Is there something you needed?"

"Edward, I was watching out for Bella's future just like you asked me to, but it just disappeared! I don't know if the wolves showed up at her house, or what. I can't see anything!"

"I'll take care of it, Alice," I said hotly, slamming the phone shut. I ran all the way back to Bella's house, figuring I'd get there faster than I would in the Volvo.

When I arrived at Charlie's, Bella was asking permission to go to La Push. Charlie's thoughts were ecstatic that she was finally going to be talk to Jake. He didn't care that it was the middle of the night. Quicker than a human eye could detect, I opened the hood of Bella's truck, and quickly incapacitated it. I hopped in the passenger's seat and waited in the dark. It was cloudy tonight. Too cloudy for even the moon to shine through. I was rather annoyed that Bella would go behind my back to see Jacob, but I did warn her that I would stop her if she tried. Apparently she hadn't taken Alice into account in this little plan of hers.

How could she decieve me like this? What was she thinking? Did she honestly think I wouldn't come after her if she got across the line? And then what? The treaty wouk be broken, and war would rage. Had she lost her mind?

"Thanks, Dad!" I heard her call to Charlie as she slipped out the door. She looked around her, though with her human eyesight there was nothing to be seen. It was pitch black outside. She felt her way to the driver's side door, and got in. I watched in silence, still as a statue, as she put the key into the ignition and turned. The engine clicked, but didn't turn over. She tried again, and nothing. I moved a little to catch her attention.

"Gah!" She screamed.

"Alice called," I said, not meeting her eyes. "She got nervous when your future rather abruptly disappeared five minutes ago." Her eyes widened in surprise. "Because she can't see the wolves, you know. Had you forgotten that? When you decide to mingle your fate with theirs, you disappear, too. You couldn't know that part, I realize that. But can you understand why that might make me a little…anxious? Alice saw you disappear, and she couldn't even tell if you'd come home or not. Your future got lost, just like theirs."

I was rambling now, more to myself than her, although she sat listening in silence. "We're not sure why this is. Some natural defense their born with? That doesn't seem entirely likely, since I haven't had any trouble reading their thoughts. The Blacks' at least. Carlisle theorizes that it's because their lives are so ruled by their transformations. It's more an involuntary reaction than a decision. Utterly unpredictable, and it changes everything about them. In that instant when they shift from one form to another, they don't really even exist. The future can't hold them…" I trailed off, and we sat in silence for a moment. "I'll put your car back together in time for school, in case you'd like to drive yourself." I told her, not knowing just how angry she was.

She didn't say a word as she grabbed her keys out of the ignition and got out of the truck.

"Shut your window if you want me to stay away tonight. I'll understand," I said, as she slammed the door. Even though I would understand, it would be agonizing to not be near her all night.

She stomped into the house and had a brief conversation with Charlie before clambering up the stairs to her room. She went to the window and slammed it shut hard, almost breaking the glass. I watched for a moment as she sighed, her heart rate decreasing to normal speed, and opened the window wide.

I smiled to myself, knowing I was forgiven.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: SORRY FOR THE LONG SPACE BETWEEN UPDATES…. I just got so into my other story rising sun about Renesmee… I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

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**Tell me what you think.**

**Chapter 3:**

The trip to Florida that weekend had gone well. I kept to myself in the house as much as possible, staying out of the sun, and letting Bella and her mother enjoy their quality time together. It was difficult to be away from her, but I knew she was safe with her mother. And this gave me plenty of time to keep a constant eye on what was going on back in Forks. Renee's thoughts were interesting, and, surprisingly enough, she overall approved of Bella and my relationship. Of course, she thought that we were too serious for our age, but unlike Charlie, she genuinely liked me. That was a plus.

Now we were on our way home, with myself in the driver's seat, and Bella staring out the window. She had barely said two words since we left Florida. "You've been very quiet," I observed. "Did the plane make you sick?"

"No, I'm okay," she replied.

"Are you sad to leave?" I pushed for an answer. I really wanted to know what was wrong.

"More relieved than sad, I think," she replied. I raised an eyebrow at her, surprised, as usual, by her answer.

She sighed and continued, "Renee is so much more…_perceptive _than Charlie in some ways. It makes me jumpy."

I laughed, thinking of the look I had gotten of Renee's mind. "Your mother has a very interesting mind. Almost childlike, but very insightful. She sees things differently than other people." This was true. Bella spent all weekend with her mother, and her mother noticed every little thing she did when she was around me. She picked up on how Bella seemed to unconsciously orient her body towards me whenever I moved. She noticed how intense I was towards her daughter. She thought the way I looked at her, was like I would jump in front of a bullet to save her. This was true. I would jump in front of a bullet to save Bella. It wouldn't harm me anyway.

Bella seemed lost in her thoughts then, and we enjoyed a comfortable silence the rest of the way to Charlie's house. I noticed that Bella had dozed off. I let her sleep as we drove into Forks.

I pulled up to the curb, leaning over to kiss Bella's forehead. "We're home, Sleeping Beauty. Time to awake."

We looked towards the house as Charlie was pulling back the curtains. _Good she's home. _He thought. _She better be in one piece. That was the longest weekend of my life. I have to remember to have her call Jacob right away. He's been calling all day, poor kid. He really misses her._

Bella sighed. "How bad?"

"Charlie's not going to be difficult," I told her, trying to hide the tension in my voice. "He missed you."

She looked at me questioningly. She was too perceptive for her own good. I got out of the car and opened her door, grabbing her bag as we walked to the front door. Charlie greeted us there.

"Welcome home, kid! How was Jacksonville?" he exclaimed, excited to see his daughter.

Bella was taken aback by his upbeat attitude. "Moist. And buggy." She replied, always brutally honest.

"So Renee didn't sell you on the University of Florida?" He asked, only half joking.

"She tried. But I'd rather drink water than inhale it," she joked.

Better be nice to the Cullen kid. He won't be happy when he hears how much Jake has been calling. "Did you have a nice time?" He asked, turning to me. Jacob had called? Why would Jake call? His thoughts entered my mind again.

"Yes," I said calmly. "Renee was very hospitable."

"That's…" _annoying. _"…um, good. Glad you had fun." he turned toward Bella.

"Impressive," I heard her whisper to him.

Charlie laughed. "I really missed you, Bells. The food around here sucks when you're gone."

"I'll get on it."

"Would you call Jacob first? He's been bugging me every five minutes since six o' clock this morning. I promised I'd have you call him before you even unpacked." He told her, purposely avoiding eye contact with me.

I tried to keep up my nonchalant façade, but I'm sure I wasn't fooling Bella. I couldn't stop the tension from consuming my body as Charlie spoke that mongrel's name.

What did this mongrel want now!? Why wouldn't he just leave my Bella alone!? The room felt like it was spinning. I didn't want Bella to make the call. Jacob Black would have nothing to do in Bella's life!

"Jacob wants to talk to me?" Bella asked in a small voice.

"Pretty bad, I'd say. He wouldn't tell me what it was about – just said it was important."

He just needed to leave her alone, he would not get near Bella. Ever. But, with the odds stacked against us, my wish would not be granted. And then, the phone rang.

"That's him again, I'd bet my next paycheck," Charlie mumbled silently. _Wonder what's so important, anyway?_

Jacob Black was dead. Dead for many reasons. Dead, for calling my angel, one last time. Dead, for what he had done to her. Dead, for falling in love with her. Dead, for practically killing her. He was dead, for he had stolen part of Bella away from me. I wanted him dead almost more than Victoria herself, but I knew that would cause Bella discomfort and unneeded sadness, but then again maybe that sadness was what was needed to protect her. It was not all his fault though. If I wasn't already dead, I surely would be too. I was the one who left Bella; only to find out she had mingled with werewolves while I was gone. It was because of me, Bella had nearly killed herself. I had caused every misfortune in Bella's life.

I knew that there was no way to fix everything I had caused her, but I could try. I would give her everything, anything, she wanted in this planet. All she had to do was ask, and she would have it. I was _hers_. But there were things that she wouldn't ask for. For starters, protection. She had no choice when it came to this, because nothing more would harm her… not while I was here.

"I got it," Bella said, her heart stuttering in her chest. I followed her into the kitchen as Charlie left to watch the game. She picked the phone up and turned away from me, facing the wall.

I'm sure this gave her action a feeling of privacy, although I could still easily hear everything said on both ends of the line. Or had she forgotten? "Hello?" she said breathlessly.

"You're back," Jacob replied. I heard her heart stutter again as he spoke, and an inexplicable wave of jealousy swept through me. It was not a natural feeling for me, and was very uncomfortable.

"Yes," she answered, her voice sounding rough.

"Why didn't you call me?" He demanded. I had to suppress a growl at his tone, he shouldn't be speaking to her so harshly. What was his problem.

"Because I've been in the house for exactly four seconds and your call interrupted Charlie telling me you called," she explained defensively.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Sure. Now, why are you harassing Charlie?" She asked.

"I need to talk to you."

"Yeah, I figured out that part all by myself. Go ahead," she replied, sounding confused.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and I was suddenly wishing he was in close enough proximity to read his mind. I needed to know what his motivation was with this conversation.

"You going to school tomorrow?" he asked suddenly.

Bella's brow furrowed, getting more confused as the conversation continued. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I?"

"I dunno. Just curious," he replied.

There was another pause. This was becoming ridiculous.

"So what did you want to talk about, Jake?"

"Nothing, really, I guess. I…wanted to hear your voice," he replied, as I suppressed another growl. I would need to work harder to control this new emotion.

"Yeah, I know. I'm so glad you called me, Jake. I…" Bella trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"I have to go," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"But Jake –" Bella started, but he had already hung up.

"That was short," she muttered under her breath.

"Is everything all right?" I asked smoothly, my face composed into a perfectly emotionless mask. Hiding all of my emotions from before.

She looked so lost and confused. I couldn't blame her, I didn't understand what the mutt had wanted either. "I don't know," she said slowly. "I wonder what that was about."

"Your guess is probably better than mine," I said, trying to lighten the mood with a small smile.

"Mmm," she answered, distracted by her thoughts.

She started pulling ingredients out of the cupboards for dinner, her eyes a million miles away. I leaned against the counter and watched her emotions play across her face, from confused, to wonder, to a sadness I didn't fully understand. That look pained me the most. I knew she missed him, and that killed me. I didn't understand what she saw in a mutant dog, especially one as immature and smug as Jacob Black. If she only knew the things he sometimes thought, maybe she'd understand why I didn't want her near him on her own. But Bella was always too trusting, too easy to grant forgiveness. She would never see Jacob like I did.

Suddenly, Bella froze, the meat in her hands slipping to the ground. I grabbed it and tossed it on the counter, putting my arms around her waist for support. It looked as if she were about to faint. "What's wrong?" I breathed softly in her ear.

She shook her head, almost like she was trying to wake herself out of a bad dream. "Bella?" I asked, anxious now, her unresponsiveness making me anxious.

"I think…I think he was checking. Checking to make sure. That I'm human, I mean." She murmured so quietly I wouldn't have been able to hear her had it not been for my heightened senses. I stiffened, and couldn't hold back the hiss that escaped my lips. Of course the dog thought that it was his business if Bella was changed. The Quileute pack was looking for any reason to start a war, and Bella being changed would be a perfect one.

"We'll have to leave," she whispered. "Before. So that it doesn't break the treaty. We won't ever be able to come back."

I tightened my hold on her. "I know," I said. I couldn't stand all the pain she was going to go through just to become one of us. Maybe now she'd realize all she'd have to give up, and I could finally change her mind. Not likely, I thought to myself. I tightened my grip around her, tying to comfort her. She shouldn't have to worry about this. Ever. It wasn't fair for her. Since our relationship began, I never had wanted Bella to have to worry about anything. But, it seemed that this was all that I had been doing. She was constantly worrying about everyone except herself. Everything was always threatening her life, not only just me and my family but it seemed like the whole world was against us.

Oh great…in my own kitchen. "Ahem," Charlie cleared his throat, causing Bella to jump out of my arms, her face red.

I went back to my original position, leaning against the counter, but I couldn't stop thinking about Jacob Black. I knew he had an ulterior motive for his phone call to Bella, and checking to see if she was changed was the most logical explanation, but I wished I knew for sure.

"If you don't want to make dinner, I can call for a pizza," Charlie said.

"No, that's okay, I'm already started," Bella replied.

"Okay." Charlie leaned against the door frame, his eyes shifting between us.

I sighed resignedly, and watched Bella cook, my mind still far away on Jacob Black.

The next morning was much more relaxed. It was Monday, and Bella and I were driving to school. We were both in good spirits until a block away from the parking lot. That's when I picked up on his scent. A werewolf was waiting in the Forks High School parking lot, and I had a pretty good idea about who it would be. I scanned the parking lot for thoughts, and found Jacob's face in some of the students minds whom had passed him by. This would not be good.

"If I asked you to do something, would you trust me?" I asked Bella.

She looked at me carefully, and I knew she could sense the stress I was feeling. My hands were gripping the steering wheel dangerously hard, and I'm surprised it didn't turn to dust beneath my palms. My eyes were narrowed and hard. She gulped and her heartbeat soared. "That depends."

"I was afraid you would say that," I said, pulling into my usual parking spot.

"What do you want me to do, Edward?" She asked, sounding nervous.

"I want you to stay in the car. I want you to wait here until I come back for you." I looked at Jacob Black then, trying to pick his thoughts out of the crowd. They weren't hard to miss, he was practically shouting in his mind. _Good, they're here. I just want to get this over with. _

"But…_why_?" Bella asked before following my eyes and seeing Jacob, parked with his motorcycle on the sidewalk. "Oh."

Jacob's mind was contemplating what he wanted to say to us. Well at least Bella didn't lie when she said she'd be here. That's good, I needed the witnesses. Wouldn't want to phase in front of everyone, now, would I? It'll help me keep my emotions in check. Calm, Jake. Just stay calm. Stupid mutt. I suppressed a growl.

"You jumped to the wrong conclusion last night," I told her. "He asked about school because he knew that I would be where you were. He was looking for a safe place to talk to me. A place with witnesses."

I tried to block his thoughts from my mind. They were a mixed jumble of what he watned to say. He couldn't get it right. didn't know how to say it apparently. Stupid mutt.

"I'm not staying in the car," Bella said indignantly.

"Of course not," I groaned, although I expected her reaction. "Well, let's get this over with."

We walked to where Jacob was standing, students scurrying past him, their thoughts intimidated. I suppose he would seem frightening until you realized that he's just an overgrown mutt. Then again to a normal person he would seem rather large. "You could have called us," I muttered harshly as we closed the distance between us.

Yeah, right. "Sorry. I don't have any leeches on my speed dial," he replied.

"You could have reached me at Bella's house, of course," I retorted smugly.

You don't deserve her. She may not be able to see it, but everyone else can. It's only a matter of time before she figures it out herself. Once you and your family get ripped apart for breaking the treaty…

"This is hardly the place, Jacob. Could we discuss this later?" I asked, answering his thoughts.

"Sure, sure. I'll stop by your crypt after school," he snorted at his joke. Well at least he thought he was funny. "What's wrong with now?"

I looked pointedly at the students who were now openly staring at the situation at hand. Their thoughts were confused, some were excited to be seeing what they thought would be escalating into a fight. "I already know what you came to say," I whispered lowly. "Message delivered. Consider us warned."

I glanced at Bella, hoping she wasn't paying close attention, although I knew she would be. I really didn't want to do this right now. "Warned?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"

"You didn't tell her? What, were you afraid she'd take our side?" Jacob asked.

"Please drop it, Jacob," I said, trying to remain calm. I glanced at Bella, worry and confusion forming in her eyes.

"Why?" Jacob challenged. Afraid of what she'll do when she finds out you lied to her again? Maybe she'll change her mind about who she should trust when she realizes you'll never tell her the truth.

"What don't I know? Edward?" Bella asked. I just glared at Jacob, pretending like I didn't hear her question. I wasn't about to answer that. She didn't need to know.

"Jake?"

This should be good. "He didn't tell you that his big…brother crossed the line Saturday night?" he asked her, feigning surprise. He deserves to die for that, bloodsucker_. _"Paul was totally justified in –" Did he honestly believe this? It was their entire fault. It wasn't even their land.

"It was no man's land!" I hissed at him.

"Was not!" he replied, his thoughts turning angry. He began shaking, and I knew it was taking all he had to not phase then. He looked as if he was about to shift in front of everyone. He took in two deep lungfuls of air.

Bella contemplated a moment before whispering, "Emmett and Paul? What happened? Where they fighting? Why? Did Paul get hurt?" She was panicking now.

"No one fought. No one got hurt. Don't be anxious," I said quietly, attempting to placate her.

"You didn't tell her anything at all, did you? Is that why you took her away? So she wouldn't know that --?"

"Leave now," I cut him off before he could mention Victoria's return. I didn't want Bella to find out this way. I wanted to shield her from the worry I knew would consume her when she knew. I didn't want to have to mention Victoria until she had been killed, and I could assure her that it was over and she had nothing to fear. But of course, perceptive human that she is, I saw the realization in her eyes at that moment.

She began trembling and gasping, and I was fully expecting her to go into shock. "She came back for me," she managed out between gasps.

I turned to her, stroking her face with my hands, trying to calm her down. "It's fine. It's fine. I'll never let her get close to you, it's fine." I whispered.

I turned back to Jacob, anger consuming me. He was the reason Bella was going to worry herself sick until Victoria was destroyed. He was the reason her nightmares would surely be returning. I had wanted to protect her, and he was ruining the sense of security I had worked so hard to give to her. I glared a Jacob. This was entirely his fault. Why couldn't he just keep his giant mouth shut? Maybe I would have to do it for him.

"Does that answer your question, mongrel?"

"You don't think Bella has a right to know? It's her life," he stated.

I kept my voice too low for human ears. There were people surrounding us now, openly staring, waiting for someone to throw the first punch. "Why should she be frightened when she was never in danger?"

"Better frightened then lied to." He was the dumbest being alive. How would hurting her, be better than keeping her happy?

Bella was crying now, hot tears spilling over her cheeks. I wiped them away quickly, cursing Jacob Black's name under my breath. "Do you really think hurting her is better than protecting her?" I challenged.

I'm not the one that hurts her. "She's tougher than you think. And she's been through worse."

At that moment, Jacob's thoughts twisted into memories. Bella, found broken on the forest floor the night I left her. The way her eyes held no more life, the way she wouldn't respond to anyone, almost as if her mind had retreated into itself. She was a shell of a person, so far gone from the Bella I knew and loved. The memory shifted to Bella screaming out at night, and crying for me, but I wasn't there. Apparently the dog checked up on her sometimes, hoping she was all right. Bella crying. His thoughts were my worst nightmare. I couldn't stop the all-consuming pain and regret that hit me with these memories of his. If I could cry I would be sobbing endless sobs, just like Bella had for me. I tried to compose my face before Bella could notice, but of course she saw.

"What are you doing to him?" She demanded protectively.

"It's nothing, Bella," I tried to calm her. "Jacob just has a good memory, that's all."

Jacob grinned a smug grin, and this time his memories switched to him and Bella, walking on the beach, hand in hand. This Bella seemed better, happy even. His thoughts shifted quickly then, to all the touches, the longing looks, the small kisses on the cheek between them. He loved her, not in the way that I did, I was sure, but loved her none the less. That strange sense of jealousy overwhelmed me again, and I winced.

"Stop it!" Bella yelled. "Whatever you're doing."

"Sure, if you want," Jacob shrugged, the memories fading. "It's his own fault if he doesn't like the things I remember, though."

He had a point. If I hadn't left, he wouldn't have those memories at all. It was my own fault that he could use them against me now. Suddenly the principal's thoughts broke through the circle of students surrounding us.

"The principal's on his way to discourage loitering on school property," I whispered to Bella. "Let's get to English, Bella, so you're not involved."

Do you always tell her what to do and when to do it? "Overprotective, isn't he? A little trouble makes life fun. Let me guess, you're not allowed to have fun, are you?" Jacob asked Bella. I could show her fun…

His mind wandered to things he'd like to do with Bella, not all of which would be considered appropriate. My lips pulled back into a slight snarl protectively.

"Shut up, Jake," Bella said, obviously wanting this conversation to be over.

"That sounds like a no," Jacob laughed. "Hey, if you ever feel like having a life again, you could come see me. I've still got your motorcycle in my garage."

He was obviously trying to annoy me. And it was working.

"You were supposed to sell that," Bella replied. "You promised Charlie you would."

"Yeah, right. Like I would do that. It belongs to you, not me. Anyway, I'll hold onto it until you want it back."

"Jake…" Bella started.

"I think I might have been wrong before, you know, about not being able to be friends. Maybe we could manage it, on my side of the line. Come see me." he had ulterior motive, he wanted to pull Bella away from me, get her to change her mind and choice him over me. Not likely!

His mind was formulating a plan to get Bella away from me. I decided that, as there was no way I would be allowing Bella to go to La Push by herself anyway, I wouldn't let Jacob Black get to me. When Bella quickly glanced at my face, it was completely at ease, which surprised her.

"I, er, don't know about that, Jake," she said, somewhat awkwardly.

"I miss you every day, Bella. It's not the same without you,"

"I know, and I'm sorry, Jake, I just…" she trailed off, well aware of my presence. Jacob thought I had he brainwashed. The thought made me want to laugh. Stupid mongreil had no imagination and no concept of what love really was.

"I know," he sighed. "Doesn't matter, right? I guess I'll survive or something. Who needs friends?"

He was somewhere between trying to guilt Bella into going against me, and talking himself into not needing her when she wouldn't. I held her tightly, knowing that if I wasn't there she would be running over to comfort him.

"Okay, get to class," the principal's voice broke through the crowd that had surrounded us. "Move along, Mr. Crowley."

I loosened my hold on Bella's waist, grabbing only her hand, as I started to pull her away from the scene.

"I mean it. Detention for anyone who's still standing here when I turn around again." He said as the crowd dissipated. "Ah, Mr. Cullen. Do we have a problem here?"

"Not at all, Mr. Greene. We were just on our way to class," I replied, a persuasive smile on my face.

"Excellent," he replied, turning to Jacob. "I don't seem to recognize your friend. Are you a new student here?" Friend?

"Nope."

"Then I suggest you remove yourself from school property at once, young man, before I call the police," Mr. Greene threatened.

Ha! That would be interesting, wouldn't it? Charlie arresting me? Jacob grinned at the thought. "Yes, sir," he saluted the principal before getting on his motorcycle and peeling off the sidewalk obnoxiously.

"Mr. Cullen, I expect you to ask your friend to refrain from trespassing again," Mr. Greene turned to me.

"He's no friend of mine, Mr. Greene, but I'll pass the message along."

"I see," he started. "If you're worried about any trouble, I'd be happy to –"

"There's nothing to worry about, Mr. Greene," I interrupted him. "There won't be any trouble."

"I hope that's correct. Well, then. On to class. You, too, Miss Swan."

I nodded, pulling Bella along. When we were out of earshot of the principal, I turned to her. "Do you feel well enough to go to class?"

"Yes," she whispered. I knew it was a lie, but there was no point in arguing with her when Mr. Greene was right behind us.

We arrived late, and took our seats. Immediately, Bella tore out a notebook page and began writing. She shoved the paper towards me:

_What happened? Tell me everything. And screw the protecting me crap, please._

I almost laughed at her choice of words, but decided against it. Sighing, I explained as best I could in writing what had happened over the weekend:

_Alice saw that Victoria was coming back. I took you out of town merely as a precaution — there was_ _never a chance that she would have gotten anywhere close to you. Emmett and Jasper very nearly had_ _her, but Victoria seems to have some instinct for evasion. She escaped right down the Quileute boundary_ l_ine as if she were reading it from a map. It didn't help that Alice's abilities were nullified by the_ _Quileute's' involvement. To be fair, the Quileutes might have had her, too, if we hadn't gotten in the way._ _The big gray one thought Emmett was over the line, and he got defensive. Of course Rosalie reacted to_

_that, and everyone left the chase to protect their companions. Carlisle and Jasper got things calmed down before it got out of hand. But by then, Victoria had slipped away. That's everything._

She frowned and shuddered as she read the note, obviously displeased that I didn't tell her what was going on. I knew she would be upset about my overprotective nature, but I truly only meant the best. She erased my words quickly and wrote her own:

_What about Charlie? She could have been after him._

I started shaking my head, wanting to explain that we had made sure Charlie was safe from harm, but she ignored me and continued writing:

_You can't know that she wasn't thinking that, because you weren't here. Florida was a bad idea._

I took the paper from her then, trying to lighten the situation:

_I wasn't about to send you off alone. With your luck, not even the black box would survive._

She frowned at my note, apparently not finding me funny. She was, however, distracted, because she wrote:

_So let's say my bad luck did crash the plane. What exactly were you going to do about it?_

She was angry with me. I had to stifle laughter

_Why is the plane crashing?_

She rolled her eyes.

_The pilots are passed out drunk._

Well my aviation skills would definitely come in handy in that situation.

_Easy. I'd fly the plane._

She looked somewhere between disgruntled and determined as she wrote:

_Both engines have exploded and we're falling in a death spiral toward the Earth._

That one took some thought, but I quickly came up with:

_I'd wait till we were close enough to the ground, get a good grip on you, kick out the wall, and jump. Then I'd run you back to the scene of the accident, and we'd stumble around like the two luckiest survivors in history._

She stared at me like I had two heads.

"What?" I whispered to her.

She mouthed "nothing" and wrote one final note.

_You will tell me next time._

I stared at her face. Her cheeks were tearstained, her eyes frightened and red from crying. I wished there wouldn't have to be a next time, but I knew it was inevitable. I nodded at her, promising to tell her the truth. She began to write again when I heard our teacher's thoughts.

_What are they doing? Passing notes in my class? _

I grabbed the paper from Bella and stuffed it in my pocket, faster than the human eye could catch.

"Is that something you'd like to share there, Mr. Cullen?" he asked me.

Feigning innocence, I replied, "My notes?" and handed him a sheet of paper covered with an accurate summary of his lecture. He was irritated as he walked away.

I was dreading the end of the school day. I knew Bella would overreact about Victoria coming back for her, especially as she had gotten away again, and I was sure there would be an argument concerning her mortality soon. I had to get my family on my side, before Bella got to them first. She didn't realize what she was giving up. I wouldn't allow it.

**Just click that tiny little button down there… you see it! Come on! lol**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: it's sad… were winding down to the last few chapters.. There are only 30 chapters in total… :-/ it's sad..

But!!!!

Enjoy!! Please review..

**Tell me what you think.**

**Chapter 4: **

As I had expected, Bella demanded a meeting with my family shortly after our incident with the dog in the parking lot. Luckily, I had seen this coming confirmed by Alice, of course, and had gotten to my family first. I had convinced them all that Bella's change could not happen while she was in a state of panic. Giving up your mortality was not a decision to take lightly, and doing it because you are afraid is not the right decision. They agreed with me wholeheartedly, and I was grateful. Although I could tell they still wanted her changed, but the state of panic was not a reason to do it at the moment. That angered me, but at least they were on my side, for now.

The meeting itself had gone quickly, each of my family members telling Bella why she didn't need to worry, and making it clear that her change would not be made any sooner than planned. Jaspers waves of false calm and reassurance helped her give in easily.

Bella seemed particularly annoyed by my response to her inquires. When asked what I thought about her becoming a vampire sooner, I simply replied, "That's between you and Carlisle. Of course, you know I'm willing to make it between you and me at any time that you wish. You know my condition."

Bella was not very happy with my proposition of marriage before I would turn her into one of my kind instead of Carlisle. Although I understood her hesitation, I desperately wanted her to agree. I wanted to be able to share my life with her in all ways, to really be able to consider her mine, and me hers. I gladly would have given her anything, including giving in to her demands of myself being the one to change her, if she would agree. But she seemed to think marriage at such a young age was a horrible travesty, which was nonsensical when you considered she was trading her human life for that of a vampire in order to spend eternity with me anyway. But, of course, I wouldn't push the issue of marriage with her. I wanted her to say yes on her own terms and in her own time. I wanted it to be sooner rather than later. Hoping that if there was a ring on her finger the stupid mutt would back off, but knowing deep down, until she was changed there was no chance of that.

The week went on uneventfully, and my family and I needed to plan a hunt for the weekend. Because of Victoria's sudden return, none of us had properly fed in quite awhile, and we definitely needed to keep our strength up for when she returned. I was reluctant to leave Bella, even if it was a short period of time. I consulted with Alice, and she saw nothing out of the ordinary happening, but promised to stay and hunt around Forks, just in case Bella needed her, and to keep an eye on her. I offered to stay with Bella if she was at all uneasy with me leaving, but she had insisted, although I saw through her brave façade.

Leaving her was never easy, and I knew about the nightmares she had while I was away. She tried to act like it was no big deal, but I could see the fear and abandonment in her eyes whenever I would mention leaving. But, unfortunately for both of us, it was necessary for me to hunt regularly. So with her blessings, I snuck out her window long before she awoke that Saturday, leaving a note on her pillow:

I'll be back so soon you won't have time to miss me. Look after my heart – I've left it with you.

The actual hunting trip wasn't as enjoyable as it usually tended to be. Even with the knowledge that Alice was watching over her, I worried about Bella. There was too much going on right now for me to feel at ease with leaving her.

We left Forks before sunrise. Jasper, Emmett, and myself piling into Emmett's Jeep for some "brotherly bonding", as Bella had called it. We were going to one of our favorite places to hunt, as each of us could have the meal of our choice.

We were only a few minutes out of Forks when Jasper spoke up from the backseat, obviously sensing my tension and apprehension. "Bella will be fine, Edward. Just relax. Have some faith in Alice."

"I have faith in Alice," I replied. "But that doesn't make me worry any less. What if Victoria makes a split-second decision to go back to Forks? Or if that mutt finds out I'm not in town and decides to pay her a visit? I should be there protecting her."

"If anything happens, Alice will see it and call," Jasper said. "We won't be extremely far away. You have nothing to worry about."

With that, he sent a wave of calm over me. I glared back at him. "Sorry brother," he shrugged. "But when you get anxious, I get anxious, and we're supposed to be having fun, remember?"

"Yeah, lighten up, bro," Emmett chimed in, slapping me on the back, his laughter booming in the enclosed space.

I sat silently back in my seat, my eyes closing, trying to let Jasper's false sense of serenity calm my nerves. But even with his help, the underlying feeling of panic at being away from Bella could not be fully squelched.

We arrived at our destination in less than half the time it would take a normal human, thanks to Emmett's extreme disregard of the speed limits. Out of all of us, Emmet was second only to Rosalie for love of speed. I decided that the next time Bella spoke of my "terrifying" driving, I would have Emmett take her on a joyride. She would never complain of riding with me again.

We decided to split up, each of us tracking the animal of our choice. I, of course, decided to try to pick up the trail of some mountain lions, they being my favorite. I ran freely for a while, enjoying the feeling of the wind whipping past me and the sights and sounds of the mountains. Running was one of my favorite pastimes. It was on of the only times I was truly free to clear my head, without the thoughts of others intruding on my mind.

I hadn't gotten far when I caught the scent I was looking for. An appetizing smell permeated the air, encouraging me that I was on the right path. Two of them, a lion and his mate most likely, were located a mile away from me, and my vampire instincts automatically took over. I ran silently, undetected, to where they were prowling. Crouching low behind the rocks, I prepared to attack. My mouth pooled with venom as I waited for the right time to attack. A low growl sounded from chest as I pounced. The lions didn't have a chance, as my reflexes were much faster than theirs. By the time they detected my presence, it was already too late. I sank my teeth into the female's neck, my venom spreading quickly through her veins leaving her incapacitated. I turned on the male, who was crouched to attack, and swiftly broke his neck with one smooth movement. I did the same to the female and began to feed.

Because I hadn't properly hunted in weeks, I drained the two lions in a matter of minutes. The blood was refreshing, but not enough to leave me satisfied. I dropped the empty carcasses and sniffed the air, beginning the hunt again. I ran faster than before, letting my senses take over. My mind wondered to thoughts and visions Alice had. She had saw this, me hunting, but not with my brothers, but with Bella. I shook the thought from my head.

----------------

Eventually the three of us met up again. Emmett was very pleased with himself. He had found a large grizzly bear. Jasper however was content on whatever crossed his path.

I slumped down next to a large boulder, which was already taken by Emmett.

As we lay across the rocks, I let my thoughts drift to Bella, as they so often did in these quiet moments. I wondered what she was doing at that moment. A look at the time confirmed that she would be getting ready for her weekend shift at the Newtons'

Outfitters store. I didn't understand her need to hold such a job, as I gladly would have paid for anything she could ever want or need, but Bella was fiercely independent, and rarely let me spend any amount of money on her. As much as I loved her stubborn desire to take care of herself, I desperately wanted to be able to take care of her and provide for her, which was another on the long list of reasons I wanted her to marry me.

An almost overwhelming feeling of longing came over me when I thought about marrying Bella. It was the one thing I wanted more than anything else in the world. To have the most beautiful creature to ever exist as my wife, to share everything with her, to belong to her as she would belong to me, made me feel truly whole. I could picture our wedding day in my mind.

"Whats up Edward?" Jasper asked slightly annoyed.

I looked up at him with a wide grin. "Sorry."

"Yeah there's so much, uh lust coming from you, I was sure you were about to mistake Emmett for Bella in your little day dream of yours." he joked.

"Wait what?" Emmetts head perked up. "Don't you think about it."

We all laughed.

"Wait a minute," Emmett interjected. "I know that face. Is our little Edward having some not-so-pure thoughts about a certain hilariously accident-prone human?"

I glared at him, refusing to answer the question. He took that as affirmation.

"You were, weren't you? Why, Edward, I didn't know you had it in you. I'm so proud." He wiped a nonexistent tear from his eye, and his booming laughter echoed off in the distance.

That was all the provocation I needed. I crouched low and sprang at him, a playful growl escaping my chest as we collided. Emmett continued laughing as we wrestled to the ground, neither of us gaining the upper hand. I soon joined his laughter, and Jasper, feeling our lightheartedness, nearly fell off the rock he was perched on, shaking with laughter of his own as he watched us roll around in the dirt.

Our festivities were cut short by the shrill ringing of my cell phone. I got up and walked over to it, glancing at the caller ID.

"Hey, come on! I was just about to win!" Emmett exclaimed, never liking a wrestling match to be interrupted. "How much trouble could Bella possible be in already?"

"Knowing her, loads." Jasper added.

"Sorry, Emmett, it's Alice. It might be important," I apologized as I flipped the phone open. "Hello?"

"Edward?" Alice's voice was unusually quiet. She sounded almost frightened.

"Alice, what's wrong? What happened?" I couldn't help the panic seeping into my voice, and felt Jasper trying to calm me. I waved him off, and he stopped immediately.

"Oh, Edward. You're going to be so mad at me, but it isn't my fault! I was watching, but it must have been a split-second decision because I didn't see it until it was too late, and –"

I cut her off, a million different scenarios running through my head, all of them horrible. "Alice! What are you talking about?"

"Bella went to La Push. I'm so sorry, Edward. I can't see anything!"

"WHAT?!" I roared into the phone. "How could you let her do that? You were supposed to be watching, Alice! How could you let her go?"

"Edward it isn't my fault…" her voice was sad. She was sorry. But that didn't matter now. Bella was in danger.

"We'll be home in an hour," I replied shortly, snapping the phone shut with too much force. It broke under my fingers.

"What? We're leaving? We just got here!" Emmett whined.

"What's going on, Edward?" Jasper said I could tell my emotions were becoming to much for him. I tried to calm myself but my efforts were futile.

"We're leaving. Now. Bella went to La Push, and Alice was too late to stop her," I said angrily, they groaned in unison as I started running in the direction of the Jeep, Emmett and Jasper close behind me.

In less than a minute, we were climbing back into the Jeep. "I'm driving," I stated as I climbed into the driver's seat. Emmett tossed me the keys, knowing it would be pointless to argue with me when I was this angry.

Heading back towards Forks, I drove faster than I ever had before, pushing the Jeep harder than it was ever intended to go. My brother's thoughts were muddled, with Jasper trying to sort out the conflicting emotions I was emitting, and Emmett preparing to cover my back if it came down to a fight between myself and the Quileutes. We arrived home in a little over an hour, much sooner than should have been possible.

Alice met us outside, apologizing again while clinging onto Jasper like her life depended on it.

"Edward, please don't hate me! I swear, if I saw it in time, I would have stopped her, but I couldn't! I tried, I promise!" She pleaded. "She decide it last minute. She knows how my ability works. She knew how to get around it."

"Maybe you should have been watching closer!" I accused, and instantly regretted it. Alice's face fell as Jasper stood protectively in front of her.

"Edward, you need to calm down. Now! It isn't Alice's fault that Bella ran off. She did everything you asked her to do. Maybe you should talk to your girlfriend about protectiong herself that way we don't have to worry all the time." Jasper glared at me, a mix of his anger on top of mine made his glare almost scary. "Or better yet, change her like she wants and we wouldn't have this problem or any for that matter!" he snapped. He was angry that I had attacked Alice. I knew it was a mistake as the words left my mouth. I was just angry.

I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers and sighed. "I know. I'm sorry, Alice. It wasn't your fault. Bella made her own decision."

"What are you going to do now?" She asked.

"I guess I'll wait for her at the boundary line. I'll try to see if I can at least pick up her heartbeat, or the mutt's thoughts, or something," I replied, feeling more helpless by the minute. I could do nothing, I cross the line a war breaks out. I stay on our side and Bella could be hurt or worse.

"Do you want me to go with you, Edward? You might need some backup," Emmett smirked. He was already calculating how many wolves he could take on at once.

"No, thanks, Emmett. I need to be by myself right now," I said as I started towards the Volvo.

_Good luck. I really am sorry, Edward. _Alice thought. I nodded at her and continued walking.

"Edward." Jasper called, stopping me in my tracks. "Please try to stay calm. If you cross that boundary line, you'll be starting a war. We have your back no matter what, brother, but I know you, and you will regret it. She'll be fine, the dog loves her in some sick twisted way."

"A war, ha we could take em." Emmett's booming laughter was the last thing I heard.

As I got into the car and sped out of the garage, towards La Push.

How could she be so stupid? Why would she do this? Did she honestly think I wouldn't find out? That I wouldn't know. Did she even care about the danger out there. What if Victoria would have been watching and saw her alone on her way to the stupid mongrel.

It was like she was asking for death. Egging it on. I growled as I got closer.

I parked the car so that it was hidden by the trees directly at the boundary line between Cullen and Quileute land. I got out and started pacing, not having decided what to do when I got here. I listened towards La Push intently, hoping to hear something that could ease my mind, but of course, I was too far away. I had almost decided to cross the stupid invisible line and get my Bella back when Jasper's words rang in my ear. You will regret it. I couldn't start a war with the wolves right now. We had Victoria and the Volturi to worry about, and I couldn't put another burden on my family's shoulders. Everything that was happening was my fault, and if I added a werewolf war into the mix, they would resent me for it, although they'd never say it. A hiss escaped my lips as I knew any effort was useless all I could do was wait.

But what about Bella? What if the dog had lost control and she was hurt? Or even if he didn't hurt her, what if she had hurt herself? Bella wasn't the most coordinated of people, and La Push was a playground for all things dangerous when it came to her. It was where she had had her cliff-diving incident, after all.

This line was utterly ridiculous. She might be in danger and I was just standing here, less than two miles away! Snarling, I picked up a rock and threw it at a tree in frustration. The rock went clean through the tree leaving a gaping hole in its wake.

I intertwined my fingers together and tried to be patient. But I couldn't stop the images that rolled through my mind like a movie reel.

Bella, throwing herself off a cliff, Bella, standing in front of a snarling wolf, it's teeth inches from her face…Her small hand in Jacob's, their faces too close, lips almost touching, images that he had fantasized about in my pressence, Bella lying all alone in the dirt, covered in blood with claw and teeth marks all over her. NO I shook the images from my head.

I wanted to cross the line so bad, For Bella, I would, but I began to think of my family. It would be incredibly stupid if I did. I knew how much it would disappoint Esme and Carlisle if I did. Not even imagining what this would mean for the rest of my family. This would cause a fight, a fight with no winners, and only one loser… Bella. She would lose everything if we killed all those beasts. They were literally her other family. They were the ones who brought her in after I left her. They were the ones to fix the wounds I inflicted. Jacob had helped her, and for that I hated myself for giving him the opportunity. I decided at that moment that crossing the line was not the answer. I would just have to wait.

I finally decided to give her two hours. If she didn't come out by then, I was going in, and at that moment, I didn't care about the consequences. I continued pacing, each minute that passed allowing more and more anger to course through my veins. I was irritated with Bella, there was no doubt about that. But I could never truly be mad at her. I was more mad at myself, for one, for not doing more to protect her. I should have had someone with her around the clock while I was away, making sure she didn't make a stupid decision such as this one. I blamed the dog, for another, for making her feel so much guilt that she would feel the need to go behind my back to comfort him. He was completely taking advantage of her kindhearted nature, and that was not acceptable.

And although it was overshadowed by my anger and worry, I felt that previously unfamiliar feeling of jealousy acting up. Why would she risk lying to me, and Alice, for that matter, to see him? What made him so special that she would put her life at risk to comfort him? Did she care for him in a way that was more then what she let on?

I shook my head and squeezed my eyes closed, trying to relieve some of the pressure I felt. There were too many thoughts and emotions running through my body, and I couldn't function properly. I tried taking deep breaths, but they were unnecessary, so it didn't help any. I sighed. She must be crazy. that's it. She's crazy, she likes the danger. I growled again walking to the nearest tree and up rooting it in one swift movement and hurling it in the distance in the other. That didn't help either. I ground my teeth together. Nope nothing. Ugh! I walked forward toward the line ready to cross it. Ready to break the treaty start a war. I stopped as my foot hovered above it.

"Dammit!" I swore out loud with a growl. Making the birds near by fly high in the sky.

Two hours, I gave her two hours. I sighed and turned back around and took my anger out on another tree.

Exactly two hours later, I had had enough and was just about to take that first step over the boundary line when I heard the familiar roar of Bella's old truck coming towards the boundary line. It was still a few miles away, but the relief I felt hearing that sound was like a pile of bricks being lifted off my chest. Soon enough, I heard another sound, a beautiful sound; her heartbeat, steady and strong.

Knowing that she was safe and on her way home greatly reduced the worry I had felt before, but the anger that was already so strong soon took its place. I ran to the Volvo and started it, planning to follow her home so we could talk about her complete lack of self-preservation. She was a danger magnet, but at he same time she brought some of the danger onto her self. I growled lowly as I climbed into the Volvo. Knowing if I confronted her now without calming myself down, words would be said that I didn't mean, harsh unpleasant words that would only hurt her more.

Soon enough, the truck passed my Volvo, still hidden in the trees, unnoticed by her. I waited two minutes. I sped out of my spot, fishtailing my Volvo in the process. I finally caught up to her and followed inches behind the old truck. Waiting for her to see me in her review mirror.

She finally did. Her face was white and her expression was guilty and slightly afraid. Then she stared resolutely forward. I just glared at her mirror, watching her gnaw on the bottom of her lip nervously.

I followed her all the way to Angela's house, not bothering to stop. After she had run inside, with out a glance in my direction. I drove the Volvo straight home.

I was in Bella's room less than five minutes later, waiting for her.

**Just click that tiny little button down there…. You see it.. Come on! Lol **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: hope ya like the next chapter.. Enjoy.. Sorry it took so long, I was sick, then work was like a mad house and then the computer crashed so yeah lol I wasn't having any luck..**

**Chapter 5:**

Bella seemed distracted as she drove back towards Forks, no doubt lost in thought about that mutt. She didn't notice at first when my silver Volvo pulled up inches behind her bumper, but eventually she glanced in her review mirror, and her heart soared. She knew Alice had called, and she knew I was probably angry. I assumed that when she saw I was behind her, she would pull over, but she continued driving, purposefully averting her eyes from my stare in her mirror. She obviously wasn't ready to face me yet, which was just as well as I had yet to get my emotions completely under control.

I followed her closely all the way into Forks, staring at her through her mirror the entire journey, willing her to meet my gaze. She never did. Eventually she slowed, and pulled up against the curb outside of the Weber's home. Apparently today was the day she was going to help Angela with her graduation announcements, and I knew she would be grateful to grasp at anything that would buy her more time before having to talk to me. I sighed, and continued driving past her, deciding that now was not the time or place, and I'd be better off waiting for her at her house. She didn't look up as I passed. I replayed it over and over in my head, she was worried and scared.

And she aught to be. What was she thinking? Did she want to die that much? Put her self in the hands of wolves? Mindless adolescent werewolves. I would never completely understand her.

I still didn't know what I was going to say to her when she got here. Apparently asking her to leave the dog alone didn't do any good, so I would have to find a different tactic.

I thought about the upcoming hunting trip my family wanted me to attend. I knew I should go, my thirst was hardly quenched, but I didn't see how it would be a possibility. Suddenly Emmett's suggestion of kidnapping Bella didn't seem like such a bad idea. Of course, I wouldn't actually want her kidnapped, but maybe Alice could arrange a sort of "girl's night", as she liked to call it, while I was away. And never let Bella out of her sight for a moment. It wasn't a bad plan, and I was sure Alice would be all too happy to help me out, with the right incentive. I smiled at the thought.

Just then my phone vibrated in my pocket. I looked at the caller ID. Alice, naturally.

"Hello, Alice."

"Edward, I already know what you want to ask me, and I would be happy to hold Bella hostage for you!" she exclaimed.

I sighed. "Alice, please don't call it a hostage situation. I don't want Bella to be miserable. If you do this, I'm expecting you to make sure she has fun. And keep her out of trouble, of course."

"I know, I know. Of course she'll have fun, Edward, she'll be with me! Oh, it'll be just like a real human slumber party, I'm so excited!" she sounded genuinely happy to be spending time alone with Bella.

"Okay, Alice, you'll need to convince Charlie to let her stay for the weekend," I started.

"That won't be a problem, Charlie adores Esme and me," she stated. "You know I love spending time with Bella, and I would do it for free, but don't you want to know what you're going to give me for watching Bella for you?"

"What is that, Alice?" I asked, like I didn't know.

"My Porsche! It's beautiful, Edward, I love it! Thank you so much," she gushed.

"Fine, your Porsche will be here tomorrow."

With that she screamed into the phone, and I didn't have to be there to know that she was jumping up and down excitedly. As I let her screams die down, I thought of something else.

"Alice, could you do me one more thing?" I asked.

"Already way ahead of you, Edward," she replied. "I know where to get the perfect bed for Bella. I'll order it and have it shipped here tomorrow."

I smiled. Sometimes having a psychic for a sister made life much simpler. Suddenly, I heard Bella's truck coming towards the house. She was still a few blocks away. "Thanks, Alice. I have to go." I said, and hung up, knowing she would understand.

I got up from the bed and walked back towards the window, standing in the shadows beside it. As I waited for the truck to pull closer, the anger came back. Anger at that mutt, at myself, at the entire situation. Irritation that Bella would choose to sneak off behind my back to somewhere I couldn't follow, somewhere I couldn't protect her.

Was she that willing to die? Was she crazy? I tried to calm myself down before she got here.

I heard the truck door slam close.

Charlie's thoughts were neutral. Just assuming Bella was home.

Bella trudged up her steps and opened the door to her house.

"Bella?" Charlie called. Who else would it be?

"Hey, Dad." I loved hearing my angel's voice again. It seemed like ages since we were last together. This reunion was bittersweet. There were other issues that had to be addressed.

"So, how was your day?"

"Good," she said. Her voice sounded wound up. I doubt this would escape Charlie's thoughts. "They didn't need me at work, so I went down to La Push."

I practically growled.

That's good. I wish she would see Jacob more. He's so much nicer than, Edward. Charlie practically spat my name, even in his thoughts.

"How's Jacob?" He asked.

"Good," she responded, casually.

"You got over to the Webbers'?"

"Yep. We got all our announcements addressed." Bella and Charlie's conversations always amused me. He would as simple questions and she would respond with simple answers. It was funny, because they had a strong relationship, and yet they rarely shared anything important.

"That's nice. I'm glad you spent some time with your friends today."

"Me, too."

Anymore of this and I would have to barge downstairs and snatch Bella myself.

Bella and Charlie were silent for a couple of minutes. Those minutes couldn't have been any longer. I was getting seriously impatient.

Finally Bella spoke up.

"I'm going to study," she announced. There was defiantly a hint of nervousness in her voice. She began to walk slowly up the stairs.

"See you later," Charlie called after her.

Bella continued on her snail pace up the stairs and into the room. It had seemed like years since I had last seen her face; I was getting anxious. Bella slowly opened the door and closed it, before turning to face me. I just stared at her for a long moment. She looked so beautiful. If I wasn't so angry, I would run up to her and cup her face in my hands. I would ever so softly kiss her, and say "Welcome home!" If I were in a better mood. I wanted to be, but the thoughts of what could have happen to her in the hands of that mongrel enraged me.

She cringed when she saw my face, which I assume was tense, but she didn't say anything. We stared at each other wordlessly for a long moment.

"Hi," she finally said. I didn't reply. I continued to glare at her, not knowing what to say. I wasn't really angry at her, more at her actions, but I didn't know if I would be able to convey that to her.

"Er…so, I'm still alive," she stated, and a growl escaped my chest at the thought of her being anything but alive. "No harm done." She shrugged.

Did she honestly believe that? Yes, physically she was fine, but there was hardly no harm done. She really had no sense of self-preservation. She never truly understood the danger she willingly put herself in time and time again. I realized then that I was pinching the bridge of my nose with my fingers, a habit I tended to do when I was stressed.

"Bella," I said, keeping my voice low so Charlie wouldn't hear. "Do you have any idea how close I came to crossing the line today? To breaking the treaty and coming after you? Do you know what that would have meant?"

She gasped and my eyes snapped open, meeting hers. She looked panicked. "You can't!" she yelled, too loud, and adjusted her volume before continuing. "Edward, they'd use any excuse for a fight. They'd love that. You can't ever break the rules!"

Silly Bella. Maybe a fight is just what I wanted. A little bloodshed is just what those mutts deserve.

"Maybe they aren't the only ones who would enjoy a fight." The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Don't you start. You made the treaty – you stick to it." She was angry.

"If he'd hurt you –" I started.

"Enough! There's nothing to worry about. Jacob isn't dangerous."

I rolled my eyes at the thought of Bella making a decision about danger. She practically threw herself in harm's way every chance she got. "Bella, you aren't exactly the best judge of what is or isn't dangerous."

"I know I don't have to worry about Jake. And neither do you."

I ground my teeth together to keep from saying something stupid. It was laughable to think that I didn't have to worry about him. I knew how dangerous werewolves could be when they lost control, and this boy thought he was in love with her. My fists clenched automatically at the thought. All he had to do was lose his temper once, and Bella would be dead, whether he meant to do it or not. I felt Bella's eyes on me, and then she took a breath and crossed to where I was standing in the shadows. She slowly wrapped her arms around my waist, and I felt her warmth cover my skin.

"I'm sorry I made you anxious," she said, in a voice barely above a whisper, and the anger disappeared from my body at her touch.

Now anxious was an understatement. More like I would murder a pack of werewolves just to get her back. I sighed, and then wrapped my arms around her. I loved the way her body molded onto mine. It just reminded me of how perfect she was.

"Anxious is a bit of an understatement. It was a very long day."

"You weren't supposed to know about it," she said, as if that was supposed to make it better. She gazed up at my face and frowned. What else had she expected? It's not like I was going to leave her alone with that dog.

"I thought you'd be hunting longer." She studied my eyes then, and gave me a disapproving frown, noticing the too-dark tint to my eyes.

"When Alice saw you disappear, I came back." I shrugged.

"You shouldn't have done that. Now you'll have to go away again." She frowned deeper. I would never leave if she didn't want me to.

"I can wait."

"That's ridiculous. I mean, I know she couldn't see me with Jacob, but you should have known –"

"But I didn't," I interrupted her. "And you can't expect me to let you –"

"Oh, yes, I can," she broke in, knowing my thoughts without me having to voice them. "That's exactly what I expect you –"

"This won't happen again," I stated, hoping to end the conversation. No such luck, as her stubbornness had taken over.

"That's right! Because you're not going to overreact next time."

"Because there isn't going to be a next time."

"I understand when you have to leave, even if I don't like it –" she tried, but they were two very separate issues.

"That's not the same thing. I'm not risking my life."

"Neither am I."

"Werewolves constitute a risk."

"I disagree."

"I'm not negotiating this, Bella," I said, the anger rising again as my hands clenched back into fists.

"Neither am I," she stated. "Is this really just about my safety?"

"What do you mean?" I demanded, preparing to take the defensive.

"You aren't…" she trailed off. "I mean, you know better than to be jealous, right?"

She said it in a tone that sounded like she thought the idea was preposterous. I remembered those feelings of jealousy and how they had risen in me when thoughts of Jacob Black and Bella together had entered my mind. I wondered what she would say if she knew I had been feeling some jealousy. She acted as if it was beneath me to be jealous. If she had only seen what I had seen in his head.

"Do I?" I asked.

"Be serious," she said, exasperated.

"Easily – there's nothing remotely humorous about this."

She looked at me, and I could almost see the ideas forming themselves in her mind. "Or…is this something else altogether? Some vampires-and-werewolves-are-always-enemies nonsense? Is this just a testosterone-fueled –"

I cut her off sharply. "This is only about you. All I care is that you're safe." I stared at her intently, willing her to believe me. I never wanted the thought to cross her mind that it was ever about anything else but her.

"Okay," she sighed. "I believe that. But I want you to know something – when it comes to all this enemies nonsense, I'm out. I am a neutral country. I am Switzerland. I refuse to be affected by territorial disputes between mythical creatures. Jacob is family. You are…well, not exactly the love of my life, because I expect to love you much longer than that. The love of my existence. I don't care who's a werewolf and who's a vampire. If Angela turns out to be a witch, she can join the party, too."

I stared at her, my face composed. It would be almost comical, her ranting, if not for the subject at hand. Angela a witch that was preposterous.

"Switzerland," she stated, apparently feeling the need to emphasize her point.

I sighed, knowing this was getting nowhere. "Bella…" I sighed, but stopped. I hadn't noticed before, but the horrible stench of werewolf was all over her, and I wrinkled my nose.

"What now?" she asked, warily.

"Well…don't be offended, but you smell like a dog," I stated, giving her a crooked smile I knew she loved.

The fight was over, for now, but I knew it was going to come up again eventually. I was sure Bella would be less than thrilled when she found out Alice was kidnapping her for the weekend. I decided to make it up to her by leaving a day early, so that I could come home and spend a quiet night at my house together before she had to return to Charlie's. I was hoping I could use that night to get her to forgive me for holding her hostage.

I didn't tell Bella the plan to leave a day early, letting Alice surprise her by being the one to pick her up after work. Alice's Porsche had arrived that morning, exactly like the one she had driven in Italy, and I talked to her as she admired it for the hundredth time that day.

"Are you sure you can handle this without going overboard, Alice?" I asked. "I want Bella to be safe, but I also want her to have fun, not be tortured by you giving her multiple unnecessary makeovers."

"Don't worry about us, Edward. We're going to have a great time! I've been researching human sleepovers and it's going to be the most fun I've ever had!" Her enthusiasm didn't make me any less uneasy.

"Well, just make sure that Bella is having a good time as well. And that she doesn't go anywhere near La Push."

"Will do! Now stop worrying, and have a wonderful time hunting." With that she turned and ran into the house, leaving me in the garage alone.

The prospect of leaving Bella alone this weekend terrified me. A million different scenarios ran through my head as I waited for the others to get ready, none of them ending well.

"Let's go, Edward!" Emmett called, already jumping in the Jeep.

I sighed and turned to follow, knowing that all I could do now was put it in Alice's hands and hope for the best.

I was leaving Bella, I just hoped Alice could handle it. If she snuck away to La Push again, I don't know what I would do. Probably march right past the line and murder ever single one of them. Leaving Jacob for last.

**Just click that tiny little button down there…. You see it.. Come on! Lol **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: sorry for the long wait.. i was involved in my story fallen horizon... if ya havent already check it out.. its about renesmee. **

**so here it is.. i hope to update again tomorrow... specially since its a short chapter.. **

**Chapter 6:**

The drive seemed to take an excruciatingly long time, even at vampire speeds. Carlisle was driving, his thoughts on work and Esme.

I was in the passenger seat. Emmett and Jasper sat behind us.

Emmett's thoughts drifted between Rosalie and his strategies for the hunting trip.

Poor jasper kept begging me in his mind to settle down. He tried to keep me calm. But I don't think it was helping.

How could I stay calm? I was leaving Bella. No matter how short of time, I was still leaving her. I had no way of protecting her if she need it.

I eventually blocked out all their thoughts as best I could and got lost in my own. The only thing I was capable of doing at that moment was worrying about Bella. I prayed that Alice could make Bella have a good time while I was away, and that she wouldn't be too angry with me when I returned. Would she really hold it against me when all I wanted was no harm to ever come to her? I didn't think so. Bella was the most forgiving creature, human or otherwise, that I had ever met. I didn't think she was capable of carrying a grudge against anyone, much less someone she loves. All I wanted to do was protect her. She couldn't see the danger that Jacob held.

I wasn't the only one anxious to check in with his significant other, although I _was _the only one consumed with worry.

I chose a direction and started running, knowing it would take no time at all before catching a scent. This area had an overpopulation of mountain lions, which was what made it my favorite hunting ground. As expected, I picked up a trail of what must have been an entire pack of lions, less than a mile from where I was. I sniffed the air, temporarily pushing all other thoughts out of my mind as I let my instincts take over. I crouched low, and then began to sprint, and let the hunt begin.

We had arrived in the mountains as the sun was setting, and by the time we met at the Jeep it was pitch black, the moon high in the sky. Time tended to slip away quickly when I was having a good hunt. My family was running at a pace that could hardly be considered vampire speed, and I had beaten them to the parking spot by minutes. Of course, the doors were locked, so I paced impatiently, waiting for them to catch up.

"Looking for these?" Emmett called to me in a sing-song voice, dangling the keys on his index finger. I was in front of him in a flash, grabbing the keys from his hand. "Someone's a little anxious," he said.

"You have no idea," Jasper grumbled.

I swiftly unlocked the door, pulling it open, and almost off the hinges in the process.

"Hey!" Emmett exclaimed. "Don't hurt my baby!"

"Sorry," I mumbled half-heartedly, waiting for my phone to power up.

It took too long, but finally the screen came to life. Looking at the time, I saw it was well after midnight. Bella would be asleep by now, as she had school in the morning. I noticed I had a voicemail, and I instantly panicked. Something had happened, and I wasn't there. I knew I shouldn't have come on this trip. I pressed the button and waited for the message to start. Jasper, sensing my distress, tried to calm me, but quit with a shrug when I glared at him. Finally the message started, and I was surprised to hear not Alice's voice, but Bella's.

"You are in trouble. Enormous trouble. Angry grizzly bears are going to look tame next to what is waiting for you at home." I sighed as I closed the phone. I was relieved to find out I was wrong.

I stared, in disbelief at my phone. She was angry, but she was ok.

Suddenly I burst into a roar of laughter. My Bella was mad at _me_ for making _Alice_ kidnap her. I continued shaking with laughter. I wanted to know exactly what Bella had in store for me. Sunday would not come fast enough.

"What's so funny?" Emmett asked, racing to me as soon as he heard my laughter.

"Bella," I said still laughing uncontrollably. I replayed him Bella's message. It was his turn to laugh. His boomed throughout to forest. It practically shook the trees.

"Edward, how much can I thank you for falling in love with her!" he boomed.

Bella sounded _mad_, and I was sure I would get quite the earful when I arrived home. But Bella mad was kind of…endearing. Sexy, even.

"Oooh…Edward's in _trouble_!" Emmett finally taunted.

This, of course, set Jasper off, and the two were literally rolling on the ground howling with laughter. I looked over at Carlisle, who was desperately trying to hold back laughter of his own, and failing miserably. I rolled my eyes at them, shaking my head as I turned back to my phone, but I couldn't help but let my own amused chuckle escape. I decided to call Alice to check in and make sure that things were going smoothly, despite Bella's obvious irritation at the situation.

She answered halfway through the first ring. Her voice was cheery. "Hey, Edward."

"Alice, how is everything?"

"Everything's great! We've been having a wonderful time. And before you even ask, Bella's fine. She's not nearly as angry as she tried to sound on her message. And she's already decided to forgive you, so stop worrying about it." Alice said, answering my unasked question.

I felt myself releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding at her words. Everything was fine, nothing to worry about. "So…are you sure everything is okay? Bella didn't get hurt, or you didn't have any strange visions that we should worry about, or –"

I was cut off by Alice's exasperated sigh. "No, Edward. No visions, no bumps or bruises, Bella's sound asleep, and tomorrow is going to go off without a hitch. Now please, stop worrying."

I smiled. "I don't think that's entirely possible, but I'll try to relax. Thanks for everything, Alice."

"No, thank you. Did I tell you how much I love my Porsche? Because I really, really, REALLY do."

"I think you may have mentioned it a time or two," I told her, rolling my eyes.

"Have a good night, dear brother!" Alice chimed before hanging up.

I snapped the phone shut and placed it back in the Jeep. I turned around in time to catch the end of the bet Emmett and Jasper were making, about how long Bella's anger would last once we got home. Emmett was wagering that Bella's stubbornness would win out, and I'd have at least an hour of groveling to do before she'd forgive me. Jasper, however, was betting on less than fifteen minutes.

"And no cheating this time, bro! You aren't allowed to manipulate their emotions," Emmett declared.

Jasper scoffed. "Me? Cheat? Never!"

I growled softly at them, a smirk playing on my face. "I really don't appreciate you two making Bella the subject of your stupid bets."

"Oh come on, Edward. We're just having a little fun. No harm done, right?" Emmett asked, an innocent expression on his face.

"Keep it up, Emmett, and there definitely will be some harm done," I warned.

"Bring it on, brother! We still need to finish our match from last time. Carlisle, you be the ref."

And thus another lighthearted wrestling match was underway, with Carlisle as our referee and Jasper laughing hysterically every time one of us would pin the other. I had won the best two out of three, and Emmett had insisted on three out of five. This turned into five out of seven, and so forth, until we were tied and I grew tired of the game, throwing one match to let him win. I figured Emmett gloating was more desirable than Emmett pouting and demanding a rematch for the rest of the trip. When we fought I knew his moves before he replayed them. So he had the strength but I always had the upper hand.

The sun was rising when we finally made our way back to our hunting grounds, and we split up yet again. It took no time at all to find a trail leading to the mountain lions I found so appealing, and only minutes between finishing one and finding another. I continued this way for most of the morning, and had tracked more animals in a few hours than I usually was able to hunt in a full day. One of the many reasons the trip to this particular area was always worth it.

We made our way slowly back to the Jeep once again. It was mid-afternoon this time, and I was in much less of a hurry than before. Bella was at school, probably eating lunch right now, and I was sure nothing of great importance could happen to her while she was there. So I was caught by surprise when I flipped on my phone and saw a message waiting. I wasn't worried, simply curious as I pressed the button and waited for the message to play. I had assumed it would just be Bella again, either still angry, or apologizing for being angry before. But, unfortunately, things never go as they should, and the raging fire inside of me built up once again when I heard Alice's message on the other end of the line. I couldn't move, my entire being was frozen in place. I couldn't think. I had to get home, do something. Before I even listened to the message, just hearing Alice;s voice ring on the other end. I knew we were in trouble. My love was in trouble.

"Edward, please don't panic, but you need to call me right away. Bella's gone. To La Push, with that _mongrel_. I'm so sorry, it was too late to stop her. I'm so sorry Edward. She snuck out. I, I tried. But it was just to late."

**Just click that tiny little button down there…. You see it.. Come on! Lol **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **

**ENJOY!!!!!**

**Chapter 7:**

I was furious as I dialed Alice's number. How could she let this happen _again_? I gave her a _Porsche _for God's sake, and all she had to do was keep Bella in the house. My brothers and Carlisle were unmoving behind me, having heard the message and knowing how angry I would be. Jasper was desperately trying to send calming waves my way, but I was too far gone for them to even begin to help. I punched the numbers furiously, and Alice's voice came over the speaker before it had a chance to ring.

"Edward, I—"

"HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!" I roared, not caring enough to even pretend to be calm.

"It wasn't my fault! I didn't see –"

"Don't start, Alice! Your job was to keep her safe while I was gone and you let her run off with that mutt again!"

"Edward, it wasn't like that! If you'd just let me explain –"

"No!" I yelled, completely out of control of my emotions. I was angry, and I needed to take it out on someone. And Alice was the unlucky target. I opened my mouth to start again, when I felt an iron grasp on my shoulder.

"Edward," Carlisle started, in a calm yet firm voice. "Let her explain."

I growled slightly at him, but kept my mouth closed, waiting for her to speak.

"I swear, Edward, if I would have seen it coming, I would have stopped her. I was in the cafeteria, waiting for her, and her future was fine. Then in a split-second, there was just nothing. I ran outside just as she climbed onto the back of his motorcycle, and they sped away. I could have caught up to them, but I would have had to move at vampire speed, and there were too many people around. I couldn't risk it, Edward, he must have come to the school. And when she saw him that split second she decided. I'm sorry." she explained.

"Motorcycle?! So not only is she God knows where with a dangerous mutant canine doing God knows what, but she's risking her life on a motorcycle. This just keeps getting better," I muttered.

"I know you're angry with me, Edward, but it wasn't my fault. Bella couldn't have known that he was coming for her until he was there, or I would have seen her future disappear earlier. There was nothing I could do," she sounded upset, like she usually did when she realized how useless her visions were when werewolves were involved.

"We're coming home. Now!" I snapped. "Then I'll figure out something. There has to be some way to deal with the dog."

"We're not going anywhere until late tonight, as planned," Carlisle stated simply. I turned on him, my eyes darkening as I growled. Emmett stepped forward, preparing to hold me back if I was stupid enough to attack. "You're much too volatile right now, Edward. I'm not letting you go back like this."

I realized I still had Alice on the phone. "Alice, I'll call you back. I need to take care of something," I said, and quickly snapped the phone shut without hearing her reply. "If you think I'm just going to sit here while Bella is potentially in danger –" I started, but was cut off by Carlisle.

"That's exactly what you're going to do. You aren't thinking clearly, Edward. This whole situation has gotten completely out of hand." He glared back at me, not going to back down.

"I'll run back, if I must. But I _am_ going back, and I am going now." I turned, fully intending to run the entire way back to Forks, but Carlisle gripped my arm with force.

"Emmett, Jasper, go back to hunting. I wish to speak to Edward alone."

"Are you sure, Carlisle? You might…need me," Emmett said. _Edward's pretty pissed. I wouldn't be surprised if he _did _try to attack Carlisle right now. _

"Yes, Emmett, please go." They turned, grudgingly, and began running back towards the mountain range.

"Edward, please talk to me."

I contemplated for a brief moment and then nodded. I would listen to him speak. Then I would be on my way home to forks, to murder Jacob Black. It was a perfect plan. Obviously I would have to make it look like an accident. Get him to crash that stupid damn motercycle off a cliff. I smiled at the mental picture.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Carlisle loudly cleared his throat, trying to get my attention. I attempted to read his thoughts, to make this conversation pass more quickly, but he was carefully blocking them by translating his medical dictionary into Italian.

I sighed. "What is it you need to say, Carlisle?"

"You're going about this all wrong, son. I know you, and I know what you're considering, and she'll resent you if any harm comes to Jacob."

"She'll forgive me," I shrugged, although I wasn't as sure as I tried to seem.

"She'll forgive you. For killing her best friend? Werewolf or not. I don't even think the strongest of loves could survive that."

"And what do you expect me to do, Carlisle? I've tried to explain to her how dangerous the wolves are. I've tried to keep her…occupied…while I'm away so she couldn't go to La Push. Emmett's suggestion of tying her up in the basement is sounding better every day."

Carlisle laughed slightly. "It isn't your job to tell her what she can and cannot do. You aren't her father. If she wants to associate with the wolves, even if you don't approve, you can't stop her from doing it."

I stared at him, shocked. "I thought you were on my side! You know as well as the rest of us how dangerous they are. And you want me to just _let her go_? Just like that? I can't do that!"

"I am on your side, in a sense. Of course I know how dangerous the wolves can be. But to Bella, Jacob isn't a werewolf, he's her best friend." I growled slightly as he said that. "Sorry, son, but it's the truth. He was there for her when she really needed someone, and now they have a bond. That isn't just going to disappear because he's now a werewolf. And if you try to force her to stay away from him, she's only going to want to see him more and you less. Are you willing to sacrifice your relationship with Bella over this issue?"

"I never want anything to come between us, of course not," I said, my anger rapidly depleting as Carlisle's words made sense in my head. "But what if she gets hurt while she's with him? How could I forgive myself if something happened to her that I could have prevented?"

"You can't protect her from everything, Edward. Bella needs to figure some things out on her own. You need to decide what's more important to you: your pride, or your relationship." He turned away from me then. "IF you want to, run home. I however suggest you choose this option. You can stay here, wait till we are done. And we can go home then. Or you can go home anger and everything else. And potentially make Bella angry at you. Make us have to move because your temper with Jacob. And in the end maybe push Bella even closer to him." and with that he walked away and disappeared.

I sighed in defeat, knowing Carlisle was right, as he usually was. Bella didn't see Jacob as a danger, just as her best friend. And the more I tried to keep her from seeing him, the more she put herself at risk to get to him. Instead of keeping her safe, I was putting her in more danger. At least if I attempted to be accepting, although grudgingly, of their friendship, I could know when she was going, and where she was, and make sure she had a cell phone with her so she could call if she needed help. I could have some sort of control over the situation. That would ease my tensions, however slightly. Keeping her locked up with Alice had been a bad idea, and if she got hurt while she was with him this time, it would be entirely my fault. I had taken over protectiveness to an entirely new level, and I knew I would need to apologize when I saw her again.

I was significantly less angry when I dialed Alice the second time. She seemed to already know this as her voice was much brighter as she answered.

"I already saw that you decided to come home as planned," she said.

"Yes, I think it's for the best. I need some time to think anyway," I replied. "However, I want you to call me immediately and let me know when she arrives home. I need to know she's safe."

"Of course I will." Her voice became low again. "Edward? Do you hate me now? Because I'm really sorry and –"

"Of course I don't hate you, Alice. It wasn't your fault, I know that. Don't apologize to me; I should be the one apologizing to you. Can you forgive me?"

"Oh, Edward, don't be ridiculous. There's nothing to forgive!" she was almost entirely back to her cheery self.

With that I hung up the phone.

I briefly considered hunting more, but I didn't really need to, and I wanted to be in an area with reception when Alice called. I started pacing the small clearing, an anxious habit I had acquired over the years. I watched the sun as it moved its position in the sky, willing time to go faster. I thought about Bella, about what I would say to her when I was finally back in her arms. I let my mind wander from there, thinking about the warmth of her skin, the sparkle of her eyes, the way her mind always surprised me…

It was early evening when my phone finally vibrated in my pocket. I picked it up quickly, and Alice began talking before I had even uttered a greeting.

"She home, Edward, finally. She's soaked and covered in mud, but she's safe."

"Covered in mud?" I asked, curious.

"Yes, well, she kind of…drove her motorcycle home. In the rain."

I sighed, not having the energy to get worked up again. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. We'll be home tonight, Alice."

I snapped the phone shut and placed it back in my pocket. I squeezed the bridge of my nose, but that didn't seem to help. The motorcycle was just another reason to add to the "Why I hate the mutt" list. With Bella's luck, that thing would literally be the death of her. I wished she would just sell it, like she had promised her father, but that didn't seem to be happening, so I was at least going to get her a helmet and riding jacket. If she kept insisting on doing dangerous things, I was going to have to attempt to make them as safe as possible.

Night finally fell, and my family made their way back to the clearing by the Jeep. Jasper braced himself as he approached me, preparing for an onslaught of angry emotions, but visibly relaxed when he realized I was much calmer than before. Bella was home and safe, and I resigned myself to feeling weary more than anything else. The drive home was a quiet one, with everyone's thoughts centered mostly on their significant others, with the occasional inquiry as to how I was holding up. I assured them all I was much better after speaking with Carlisle, and Emmett placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

When we finally pulled into the garage, it was late. I assumed Bella would be fast asleep, so I didn't bother hurrying. I walked to the door at a human pace, and winced when I saw the motorcycle caked in mud, leaning against the garage wall. The house was quiet; I assumed everyone was in their respective bedrooms. Bella's scent hit me immediately, and I inhaled deeply, happy to be near her again.

Carlisle was right to wait. And Bella was right. All my frustration was because I found Jacob Black as an enemy. And partly because I was jealous. It dawned on me that I was being a little bit over protective of Bella. If she wanted to hang out with her friends, than I should let her. No matter how immature those friends were. Bella was pretty much safe with Jacob. I mean, with all those werewolves to protect her, I'm sure she'd be fine. Hopefully it wouldn't come to having to need werewolves to protect my Bella.

I made my way up the stairs slowly, the anticipation of seeing Bella growing with every step. It would be difficult not to wake her up just to hear her voice. Even through the wave of negative emotions I had gone through today, I had missed her terribly. I wanted nothing more than to hear her talk, and feel her arms around me.

I was stopped on the second floor by Rosalie. "Edward?" she called timidly. I glanced towards her door, and saw her head sticking out.

"Yes, Rosalie?" I asked, my voice sounding tired even to me.

"I had a talk with Bella last night. I figured I should let you know. I told her my story…all of it." She glanced at me, apparently gauging my reaction.

I briefly saw part of the conversation in her mind. "Okay, Rosalie," I said simply, and turned to head up to my own bedroom.

"Wait, that's it? You aren't going to get angry with me?"

"I don't have the energy to be angry at you, even if I wanted to. It's your story to tell, Rose, so what do I have to be mad at?" I continued walking, not wanting to continue the conversation.

Of course, I was stopped once again before reaching my destination by Alice. "Umm, Edward? There's one more thing…" she trailed off.

I closed my eyes. "What now?"

"Well, Bella's kind of sleeping on the couch," she said it gently, like telling me one more thing would send me over the edge.

"Why is she sleeping on the couch?" My voice was monotone. I didn't have any more emotions left in me.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure. Something about it not being necessary and I think she was mad we spent money on her again."

I shook my head and continued walking.

Finally arriving at my room, I opened the door slowly, being careful not to disturb my sleeping beauty. I entered noiselessly and did a quick survey of the room. The bed had been stripped of the quilt and a pillow. I glanced to the couch and Bella was indeed located there, sleeping peacefully. I smiled slightly at her stubbornness. I approached her slowly, drinking in her beauty. Her heartbeat was steady, and the only movement coming from her was the rise and fall of her chest. Her lips were slightly parted, and a faint blush painted her cheeks. Her hair was fanned out behind her onto the pillow. She was an angel. My dead heart swelled with love as I stared at her perfection. I didn't want to disturb her when she was so very serene looking, but I couldn't resist the urge to touch her. I kneeled beside the couch and gently ran my fingers through a section of her hair. With my other hand I faintly brushed her cheekbone with my fingers. A small sound came from her lips, and she instinctively leaned into my hand. I just sat there watching my angel sleep. It was times like these that made loving a human worth the pain of the thirst.

I sat watching her for several minutes before picking her up gracefully and carrying her to the bed. I laid her down gently, never jostling her, and covered her with the quilt. She shifted slightly, getting comfortable, but never awoke. I stole one more glance at her before disappearing to the closet to change. In less than a minute I was back by her side, lying on the opposite side of the bed, facing her. I was prepared to not move an inch the rest of the night, content to watch her sleep. But she shifted suddenly, stretching, and rolled over. She must have realized she wasn't on the couch anymore, because she turned back towards me and opened her eyes, trying to see through the darkness of the room.

"Sorry," I murmured softly, not wanting to startle her. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Her body tensed at the sound of my voice, and her heart rate increased ever so slightly. We lay in silence for a minute, both of us waiting for the other to speak. I wanted to reach out to her, to hold her, but I wasn't sure if she was still angry at me, and I didn't want to upset her. As if she were sensing my thoughts, she reached out to me, grabbing my cold hands with her warm ones. She pulled herself close to me, and I held her close to my chest, my arms encircling her waist. She made a trail of kisses up my chest, throat, chin, and finally reached lips. I kissed her back, reveling in the warmth her lips left behind on my skin.

I knew then that what Alice had said was true, I was already forgiven. We didn't need Jasper's help to realize how badly we wanted each other; our love was strong enough that we could never truly be angry.

After a moment, I couldn't help but laugh. "I was all braced for the wrath that was going to put grizzlies to shame, and this is what I get? I should infuriate you more often."

"Give me a minute to work up to it," she said, a joking tone in her voice. She leaned in to kiss me again.

"I'll wait as long as you want," I whispered. I kissed along her jaw line, running my fingers through her silky hair as her breathing became erratic.

"Maybe in the morning."

"Whatever you prefer," I replied, never letting my lips break contact with her skin.

"Welcome home. I'm glad you came back," she whispered.

"That's a very good thing."

"Mmm," was her reply, and she tightened her hold around my neck.

I ran my free hand down the side of her body, starting at her shoulder. She was perfect. Her skin seemed to radiate electricity as I felt down her arm, and over her waist and hip. I paused for a moment when my hand reached her calf, debating with myself before deciding to show her the benefits of having the bed she despised. I gently gripped her leg and hitched it around my hip. She was caught off-guard, and quit breathing completely for a moment. I let a small chuckle escape, though I doubt she'd noticed. I kept kissing her throat, enjoying the feel of the blood flowing through her veins. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and it was the most beautiful sound in the world.

"Not to bring on the ire prematurely," I whispered, trying not to ruin the mood, "but do you mind telling me what it is about this bed that you object to?"

I moved to my back, pulling her on top of me, before she had a chance to answer. I took her head between my hands, positioning her so my lips could return to her throat. She was breathing loudly now, and a smile played on my lips.

"The bed?" I prompted. "_I _think it's nice."

"It's unnecessary," she said through gasps.

I brought her face to mine and kissed her with as much passion as I dared. Slowly, never breaking our kiss, I changed our position so that she was underneath me. I easily supported all of my weight, so she felt none, but kept our bodies pressed together. I didn't think it was possible for her heart to beat any harder, but it did. In this close proximity, it was almost as if my own heart was beating again, and if it had been, it would be for her. With her body pressed against mine, and being overwhelmed with her scent, it was hard to keep my thoughts straight and remember not to throw all boundaries to the wind. I wanted her as much as she wanted me, but I wasn't as convinced as she was that I had the self control it would take not to hurt her. And so the boundaries remained, although I was pushing them gently.

I laughed gently at her body's reaction to my touch. "That's debatable. This would be difficult on a couch."

I allowed my tongue to trace the outline of her delicious lips. Her breathing became shallow and ragged, and I was sure she would start to hyperventilate soon.

"Did you change your mind?" she asked in a breathy voice.

I sighed, knowing we had to stop now before I did something we'd both regret. I had let this get too far. Rolling to the side, I said, "Don't be ridiculous, Bella. I was just trying to illustrate the benefits of the bed you don't seem to like. Don't get carried away."

"Too late," she muttered, sounding frustrated. "And I like the bed."

"Good," I smiled, kissing her forehead lightly. "I do, too."

"But I still think it's unnecessary. If we're not going to get carried away, what's the point?"

"For the hundredth time, Bella –it's too dangerous," I sighed.

"I like danger."

"I know," I said bitterly. Visions of werewolves and motorcycles came to mind.

"I'll tell you what's dangerous," she said, too quickly. She was trying to distract me. "I'm going to spontaneously combust one of these days, and you'll have no one but yourself to blame."

I pushed her away, moving towards the far edge of the bed.

"What are you doing?" she whined, clinging to my shirt.

"Protecting you from combustion. If this is too much for you…" I trialed off, still inching away from her.

"I can handle it," she insisted, and pushed her way back against my chest.

"I'm sorry I gave you the wrong impression," I apologized. "I didn't mean to make you unhappy. That wasn't nice."

"Actually, it was very, very nice." She smiled an alluring smile, and it was very hard to not let this go farther.

Drawing a deep, unnecessary breath, I replied, "Aren't you tired? I should let you sleep."

"No, I'm not. I don't mind if you want to give me the wrong impression again."

"That probably a bad idea," I said. "You're not the only one who gets carried away."

"Yes I am," she grumbled, and had to laugh again.

"You have no idea, Bella. It doesn't help that you are so eager to undermine my self-control, either."

"I'm not going to apologize for that," she said, rather smugly.

"Can _I_ apologize?"

"For what?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"You were angry with me, remember?" I reminded her.

"Oh, that."

"I'm sorry. I was wrong. It's much easier to have the proper perspective when I have you safely _here_." I held her tightly, thanking whatever God would listen that she _was _safe. "I go a little berserk when I try to leave you. I don't think I'll go so far again. It's not worth it."

"Didn't you find any mountain lions?" she smiled.

"Yes, I did, actually. Still not worth the anxiety. I'm sorry I had Alice hold you hostage, though. That was a bad idea."

"Yes," she agreed, simply.

"I won't do it again," I promised.

"Okay. But slumber parties do have their advantages…" she trailed off as she curled herself closer to me, kissing my collarbone lightly. "_You _can hold me hostage any time you want."

"Mmm, I may take you up on that," I said, enjoying the feeling of her warm breath on my skin.

"So is it my turn now?" she asked.

"Your turn?" I questioned.

"To apologize."

"What do you have to apologize for?"

"Aren't you mad at me?" she asked, confused.

"No."

Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Didn't you see Alice when you got home?"

She thought Alice hadn't told me about her little trip yet. "Yes, why?"

"Are you going to take her Porsche back?"

"Of course not. It was a gift." I was slightly offended that she thought I would take Alice's car away. It wasn't her fault, I realized that now.

"Don't you want to know what I did?" she seemed slightly irritated at my lack of concern, like she had mentally prepared for my anger and was not sure how to take my calm demeanor.

I shrugged. "I'm always interested in everything you do, but you don't have to tell me unless you want to."

"But I went to La Push."

"I know."

"And I ditched school." She sounded like a small child confessing to their parent.

"So did I."

She was tracing my face with her fingertips as she spoke. "Where did all this tolerance come from?"

I sighed again. "I decided you were right. My problem before was more about my…prejudice against werewolves than anything else. I'm going to try to be more reasonable and trust your judgment. If you say it's safe, then I'll believe you." I conveniently left out Carlisle's involvement in my thought process, but figured how I reached the conclusion didn't really matter.

"Wow," she said, impressed.

"And…most importantly…I'm not willing to let this drive a wedge between us."

She laid her head against my chest, closing her eyes. We enjoyed a few moments of peaceful togetherness. Finally I had to speak, although I did my best to keep my tone conversational. "So, did you make plans to go back to La Push soon?"

She didn't answer right away, and her body tensed at my question. I assumed she was angry with me, thinking I was going to try to stop her again. "Just so I can make my own plans," I explained. "I don't want you to feel like you have to hurry back because I'm sitting around waiting for you."

"No. I don't have plans to go back." She sounded sad as she said it, and I instantly felt horrible that she would give up her happiness for me.

"Oh. You don't have to do that for me," I said.

"I don't think I'm welcome anymore," she whispered.

I wanted to ask what was wrong, but didn't want to push her into telling me something if she didn't want to. I decided to keep it light. "Did you run over someone's cat?"

"No," she said, taking a deep breath before explaining. "I thought Jacob would have realized…I didn't think it would surprise him."

I waited, willing her to continue.

"He wasn't expecting…that it was so soon."

I realized she was speaking about her change. "Ah," I said, not knowing how to react.

"He said he'd rather see me dead," she said, her voice breaking.

I was glad at that moment that it was too dark for Bella to see my face. She would have recognized the anger that burned in my eyes immediately. He had hurt her yet again. He was undeserving of her friendship. I wanted to kill him more in that moment than I ever had before. I put the angry thoughts at the back of my mind, for now. Comforting Bella was more important. I hugged her to my chest and whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"I thought you'd be glad." Her voice was still small, like she was holding back tears.

"Glad over something that's hurt you? I don't think so, Bella."

She sighed deeply, and relaxed into my embrace. I tried to do the same, but the tension wasn't easing. Bella sensed this, of course, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," I replied, not wanting to cause more pain for her.

"You can tell me."

I didn't answer for a long moment. "It might make you angry."

"I still want to know."

I sighed. "I could quite literally kill him for saying that to you. I _want _to."

She laughed, but it sounded forced. "I guess it's a good thing you've got so much self-control."

"I could slip," I said, my thoughts drifting to my previous plans of getting rid of Jacob Black.

"If you're going to have a lapse in control, I can think of a better place for it," she said as she reached for my face, trying to pull me into a kiss.

I held her where she was, not knowing if I would be able to resist her when I wanted so much to make her feel happy again. "Must I always be the responsible one?"

I could see her smile. "No. Let me be in charge of responsibility for a few minutes…or hours."

"Goodnight, Bella." I said, not needing anymore temptation for the night.

"Wait—there was something I wanted to ask you about."

"What's that?" I asked wearily.

"I was talking to Rosalie last night…" she trailed off, gauging my reaction.

I tensed, but kept my voice calm. "Yes. She was thinking about that when I got in. She gave you quite a lot to consider, didn't she?"

I assumed she wanted to talk about Rosalie's reasons for thinking Bella should stay human, and I didn't think it was the appropriate time for that lengthy conversation. But she surprised me when she replied.

"She told me a little bit…about the time your family lived in Denali."

This wasn't what I expected. "Yes?"

"She mentioned something about a bunch of female vampires…and you."

Of course she did. The females in Denali were like lionesses ready to pounce, and I was the piece of meat. I hadn't felt anything for any of them, for anyone ever, besides Bella. But Rosalie probably spun it to look like I had.

"Don't worry. She told me you didn't…show any preference. But I was just wondering, you know, if any of _them _had. Shown a preference for you, I mean."

I didn't know how to answer without her getting upset. One of the females in Denali, Tanya, had been somewhat obsessed with me while we were there. But I had pushed her away time and time again, and I think she finally understood that there would never be anything between us.

"Which one?" she asked. "Or was there more than one?"

I really didn't want to have this conversation. I didn't answer, hoping she'd let it drop. Of course, she didn't.

"Alice will tell me. I'll go ask her right now."

I tightened my grip on her, not letting her get up. "It's late. Besides, I think Alice stepped out…" I trailed off. My voice sounded strange, a nervous edge to it I couldn't conceal.

"It's bad. It's really bad, isn't it?" Her heart rate was accelerating at alarming speeds, and I knew she was panicking.

"Calm down, Bella," I said, kissing her nose lightly. "You're being absurd."

"Am I? Then why won't you tell me?" She was getting angry now.

"Because there's nothing to tell. You're blowing this wildly out of proportion."

"Which one?" she insisted, and I sighed, just wanting to get this over with.

"Tanya expressed a little interest. I let her know, in a very courteous, gentlemanly fashion, that I did not return that interest. End of story." I had omitted some details, like exactly _how _interested Tanya was. But what Bella didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"Tell me something – what does Tanya look like?" Bella was trying to mask the jealousy in her voice, but it was easy to recognize.

Not wanting her to panic more, I answered hastily. "Just like the rest of us – white skin, gold eyes."

"And, of course, extraordinarily beautiful."

I shrugged, keeping my voice indifferent. "I suppose, to human eyes. You know what though?"

"What?"

"I prefer brunettes," I whispered directly into her ear. I wanted to ease her mind, as she really had nothing to worry about. I hadn't loved anyone other than Bella, and I never would.

"She's a blonde. That figures," she replied, a bitter edge to her voice. Her jealousy was endearing.

"Strawberry blonde – not at all my type." I started kissing her again, down her cheek and throat, then back up again. She remained silent, deep in thought, finally speaking moments later.

"I _guess _that's okay, then."

"Hmm. You're quite adorable when you're jealous. It's surprisingly enjoyable." I smiled. She frowned at me in the darkness. "It's late. Sleep, my Bella. Dream happy dreams. You are the only one who has ever touched my heart. It will always be yours. Sleep, my only love."

I began to hum her lullaby before she could protest. She gave in easily, cuddling closer to me, and fell asleep within minutes. I spent the rest of the night completely at ease, watching the beautiful creature sleeping soundly in my arms. Hers was a love I didn't deserve, and I vowed that night to spend eternity showing her just how special she was.

**Just click that tiny little button down there…. You see it.. Come on! Lol **


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